Steven - a Herobrine fanfiction
by FirstFandomFangirl
Summary: A fanfiction of "Herobrine" by NotPaul. Herobrine is the god of the Nether, the favorite of the creator, and ruler of all of Minecraft. The mobs bow down at his feet, and he is feared by players around the globe. So why isn't he happy? Steve lives alone on his farm, enjoying a peaceful life on his own. Until an unexpected visitor decides to move in, that is. T for violence
1. A Lonely World

**hey whats up nerds its fanfiction of a fanfiction time**

**so "Herobrine" by notpaul (/s/9545010/1/Herobrine) is a very good fic that never gave me the Friendship Content I Crave, so I was like "time to do something about that lol"**

**you don't actually have to read the original to read this, because I'm trying to sneak in enough context that it's not that hard to understand it.**

**anyway enjoy**

* * *

Steve's axe severed the tree trunk with a satisfying _thwack_, and he took a step back as the block shrunk and was sucked into his inventory. Reaching up to wipe the sweat off of his brow, he glanced up at the mid-afternoon sun, at its height in the sky above him. Plenty of daylight left to finish this grove of trees.

Shouldering his axe, Steve ambled towards the next oak tree, out of place in the savannah biome he had made his home. Call him obsessive, but he liked having different colors of wood to build with. Next to the oak grove was a small patch of birch, and beyond that were a few spruce his trees. Ironically, his house itself was made almost entirely out of stone, but he found plenty of use for the wood regardless, replacing fences destroyed by creepers alone used a few trees' worth of planks every week.

One of his tamed wolves, Skipper, barked at him as he passed by, and he gave the dog a pat before continuing on to the tree and starting to hack at the bottom block, only half of his mind focused on his axe and the task at hand. The other half was listening to the sounds of his environment, ready to act if he heard anything out of the ordinary. For now, though, all he heard was chickens clucking and cows lowing - and what sounded like a couple of his cats hissing at each other. He glanced over his shoulder just to be sure.

Life was quiet, but he liked it that way. Steve was perfectly happy in the company of his animals, spending the nights driving the mobs away and staying alive. Keeping busy helped overwrite older memories, and he could almost pretend it had always been this way. Maybe one day he would forget for good.

A sapling dropped from the leaves in the corner of his eye, attracting his gaze to the movement for a split second, but something else caught his attention and his head jerked up.

A humanoid figure stood across his wheat field, wearing a teal shirt and blue jeans. He might think it a zombie, if not for the dusty, tanned skin, rather than the sickly green of a zombie's flesh. Indeed, the figure looked similar enough to be his twin, if not for his single, glowing, white eye.

"Herobrine." The name slipped past Steve's lips in a whisper as he froze, the head of his axe resting in a block of wood. The other man was still and silent, staring at him without blinking. What was he doing here…?

The last time they'd met - well, been in the same place, at least, had been at the warrior's 'execution'. He'd disappeared after that - along with all the other people who had shown up out of nowhere. Steve had been alone since then, or at least that's what he had believed. Had he been here, watching him, all along? He had to be letting him see him, there were plenty of places for him to hide even in broad daylight. So why?

Slowly, the miner straightened up, returning his axe to his inventory. Turning in his double's direction, he lowered his arms to his sides, watching the other man carefully. Still, Herobrine didn't move.

Quickly checking his inventory to ensure he had his weapons, Steve took an unsteady step in his twin's direction. Nothing. He took another, then a third, but Herobrine paid him no heed. A nagging voice in the back of his head was scolding him, saying _hey, this is a bad idea_, but his curiosity won over and he kept approaching.

When he got within about thirty blocks of him, Herobrine disappeared. Steve jumped, glancing around quickly, but there was no more sign of his white-eyed twin. Running a shaky hand through his short hair, Steve started back towards his house, hoping to Notch that he wouldn't wake up tonight to all his belongings in flames.

* * *

Herobrine was _not_ lonely.

The nether king sulked on his throne, single eye narrowed at the sheer arrogance of little voice in his head to assume so. Just as he had told Notch, so long ago, he was quite content with the company of his mobs. Boredom, he was well accustomed to, but loneliness was all but unheard of.

...so why did he feel so empty?

Angrily, Herobrine rubbed at his ruined left eye with the back of his hand. The ache never went away, even when the rest of his wounds finally gave up their hold on him. He wasn't lonely, just bored. He had stopped tormenting the players a long time ago, after the events that had cost him his eye. He wasn't afraid, just rightfully cautious of something like that ever happening again.

Notch was very busy now. Even when he had tried to communicate with his brother, the elder had rarely had time to chat for more than a couple minutes. This all but confirmed his previous suspicions, that Notch had cut him off because he wanted him gone. He was only ever a burden, after all. A glitch, to be slowly, eventually, removed.

So why was Stephanus so interesting to him? Perhaps he wanted to see a bit of Notch again, what little had bled over into his new creation. Why on Earth he would want to see Notch after he had left him alone in his world, he didn't know, but he didn't care enough to pursue that angle. Maybe he just missed tormenting the players, and Stephanus was the closest he could get to that without influencing the player base.

Neither of those options seemed right, though. Perhaps he was just curious of what the miner did to entertain himself in a lonely world. Although, from what he had seen today, he seemed to follow the same method he himself did - surround himself with loyal mobs and do his best to survive. Although, Herobrine is Creative, surviving is all but effortless for him.

Maybe he could imitate Stephanus' lifestyle for a little while, gather resources and live like the players did. They seemed to have no end of things to fill their time, at least until they got bored and logged off. That was their only ability that made them superior to him - although he could roam the infinite world to his heart's content, he was still trapped inside the game that Notch had made, cursed by his legacy to be feared and hated by the only other sentient creatures that inhabited it.

Herobrine leaned back, rubbing his eye again tiredly before lowering his hand back to his side. He didn't want to rush into any one decision just yet. He had an infinite life, and no shortage of paths to pursue. For now, he might visit Stephanus again, if nothing else but a break from the harsh heat of the Nether.

Besides, it had been a long time. It might be nice to say hello.


	2. Wariness

"Wonder what he wants?" Steve mumbled, absently scratching behind Apple's ears. The tamed wolf whined at him, and he tossed her a scrap of his porch chop, earning him a happy yelp as the beast dove after the piece of meat. Herobrine was back again, hovering silently at the opposite end of his base. Again, he hadn't moved since Steve had spotted him about fifteen minutes ago, finishing up his chores in the barn. This time, the miner had opted to leave him alone. He didn't want to make him angry. He _really_ didn't want to make him angry.

Although, Steve mused as he ripped another piece of meat off the bone, Herobrine… was almost definitely different than the man who had framed him for mass murder and burned all his belongings so long ago. Even his appearance now reflected the torment he had gone through while captured by 'Notch', one eye sealed shut despite the blood and gore having long been removed. While most of his wounds had been healed, his eye apparently had not.

Steve hadn't gotten a very good look at him yet, but he looked slightly more… unkempt. The man he had met many years ago had been well-groomed, intimidating in his attire and presentation. Indeed, when he posed as his friend for a short while Steve remembered him being appalled by the thought of dirtying his clothes or partaking in any sort of physical labor. But now his hair was longer, and tangled, his clothes were dirty and ripped. Maybe he just didn't care enough anymore.

Steve didn't know what Herobrine was like now, but he wasn't sure he wanted to.

Finishing off his meal, Steve tossed Apple the bone before wiping his dirty hands on his shirt and heading back out to harvest his crops. Herobrine aside, he had work to do.

* * *

Herobrine was closer today.

Steve gave his double a wary glance as he collected eggs from around his base, shooing away a hen that got too close as he did so. It had been about a week since he had first spotted his stalker, and today he was noticeably closer to his base.

He wasn't just staring, anymore, either. Herobrine was perched on a fallen log, leaning against a tree trunk with one glowing eye trained on him. He seemed a bit more human, now, in a comfortable position rather than just staring blankly, eerily, all day. Maybe he could approach him now?

Straightening up, Steve leaned back to snap his spine back into place before heading back to the farmhouse. He wasn't ready to face him yet, but maybe he could try and leave him a message in the meantime.

Stepping inside and depositing the eggs in a chest, Steve collected a bit of wood and crafted a few signs. Although he had been given access to the 'chat box' by the fake Notch a long time ago, he had never actually figured out how to send messages himself, only read those sent by others. Therefore, short of going up and speaking to him out loud, leaving Herobrine a message via a sign was his only option.

Backing out through the door, Steve glanced at where he had last seen Herobrine, only to blink in surprise at the sight of the figure looking elsewhere for once. He seemed to be gazing in the other direction, at the skyline. Still motionless and silent, but looking at something other than him for once. It was kind of comforting, in a weird way.

Then Herobrine turned, his glowing eye focusing on him once more, and Steve reflexively dropped his gaze to the ground. Herobrine's not an Enderman, he scolded himself a moment later, but it felt like the right thing to do anyway.

Shuffling over towards the cow pen, Steve placed a sign and wrote on it,

" Herobrine,

what are you doing

here? "

A fairly neutral question. Skimming over the sign one more time, Steve turned and retreated back to the safety of his farmhouse. He could spend the rest of the day in the mines, if only to get away from Herobrine's prying eyes.

* * *

Herobrine curled his lip in a sneer as he read the sign Stephanus had left for him. As if _he_ had the right to ask about _his_ motives. He is a _god,_ far greater than Stephanus could even dream of being, he should be bowing down before him or cowering at his feet, not asking silly questions such as-

...what _was_ he doing here?

He knew why he'd come originally, of course, just to observe another person. But why was he still here? Why had he come back? Just because it was less boring than sitting in the Nether, all alone? That had to be it. Stephanus wasn't the reason he'd returned, not as a person, at least. Simply because, as another player of Notch's game, he was far more interesting a subject than any of his mobs. He was unique.

Turning away, Herobrine retreated once more to the tree he had adopted as his home point while at Steve's base. There was no way he would dignify Stephanus' message with an answer. If he had a question for him, he could ask him to his face, rather than take the coward's way out.

...if he did ask him to his face, though, Herobrine wasn't quite sure how he could respond.

That didn't matter, though. Stephanus was far too cowardly to approach him, at least, not anymore. They would not be speaking at all, though signs or otherwise. Settling himself on his log, Herobrine rested his head on the tree, watching for the miner to emerge from his house.

He waited until night fell, but Stephanus appeared to have retired for the day, as he no longer could see him moving through the windows. Out of curiosity, he sent a pair of skeletons to investigate, but they soon reported back that they detected no players inside the structure. He must have crept away. What a coward.

Stretching out on the piece of wood, Herobrine leaned his head back against the tree and closed his eye. He wouldn't stay long, there was no way he would allow himself to lower his guard around a potential enemy, but, for a few minutes at least, he could enjoy the quiet beauty of the Overworld.

* * *

"He didn't answer." Steve's shoulders slumped, and he let out a sigh before digging up the sign and turning back towards his house. Herobrine was gone now, but he had to have seen it, he'd watched him place it. He could be angry, or just… antisocial. Steve hoped it was the latter.

The miner dropped off the now-empty sign in a chest before heading back to the barn with a stack of wheat, spotting a humanoid figure watching him in the corner of his eye. He was back. Oddly enough, that was almost comforting, the lack of deviation in his routine implied that he probably wasn't mad. Shaking his head, Steve entered the barn to release the cows for the day.

When he emerged, he glanced over reflexively to check on Herobrine, only to blink in surprise to find him a good ten blocks closer. For once, he wasn't focused on Steve - instead, he was sitting cross-legged on the ground, petting a cat who looked perfectly content to be sunning herself on the grass beside him. He glanced up, and Steve looked away, but when he looked back a second later his twin was focused on the cat again. That was… uncharacteristic. Not in a bad way, though.

Herobrine didn't move for the rest of the day, even when the tabby cat eventually wandered off. Steve worked on processing some wheat to be baked into bread, then spent a good few hours smelting iron before taking a stack of saplings and moving outside to replant them. Now, Herobrine was even closer, reclining on the ground next to Skipper. Steve mentally berated the dog for being a traitor.

As the sun set, Steve headed back to his house, whistling for his small pack of dogs to join him. Obediently, Skipper abandoned his new friend, and Steve caught a withering glare sent his direction before he withdrew back inside his cabin.

* * *

Herobrine didn't know why Steve's animals seemed to like him so much, but he wasn't complaining.

The nether king absently tossed a few seeds to the cluster of hens wandering around him, causing the birds to rush around in a frenzy for a few moments before returning to their previous state. There was something endearing about the way the dumb mobs reacted to humans, trusting them blindly despite being prey animals. Unlike his mobs, which obeyed him out of fear, Stephanus' pets were friendly simply because they could be. It was a refreshing change.

He could see the miner moving around inside his house, and sent him one more glare for calling away the friendly wolf before reaching out and patting the head of one of the chickens. Maybe there was something to this way of life.

Herobrine had found himself enjoying being here more and more, Stephanus had quite the life for being a weak, pitiful survival player. And despite being all alone, without any other sentient beings around him, he seemed happy. Or, at least content. More than Herobrine could say for himself.

He was becoming more comfortable here, as well. Stephanus seemed at ease now with his presence, which he feels like he should find offensive but can't find it in himself to actually go through with it. It was peaceful, he had no responsibilities, and it was a distraction from the mind-numbing boredom he had become accustomed to in the Nether. He was almost - he _was_ enjoying himself.

Catching the attention of the few mobs spawning nearby, Herobrine lazily instructed them to guard him before lying back in the grass and staring up at the stars. The specks of white winked at him through the atmosphere far above, and he closed his eye, satisfied that he was in no danger from the miner or his rabble tonight.


	3. Hesitance

"And… he just watches you?" Joe cast a nervous glance through the window, gazing at the warrior sitting just outside the cows' pen. "How long has be been doing this?"

"About a month." Steve stuffed a chunk of bread dough in a bowl and left it in a sunbeam to rise. "Never does anything, just pets my cats sometimes."

"That's… odd." Joe sunk down on a chair with a deep frown. "That's not like him."

"I know. But a lot happened during the whole fake-Notch incident, I don't think he has malicious intent. Or, I hope not." Joe only scowled, and Steve sighed. The villager had plenty of reason to dislike him, given that Herobrine had burned down his village as a child and forced Steve to save him from the flames. It would take him some time to warm up to him, as he hadn't… seen the same things that Steve did.

"And what if he does?" His friend broke the silence, still staring through the window. "What if he attacks you?" Steve didn't look up from the lump of dough as he pummeled it with his fist.

"You've seen what he can do."

"Any chance I can persuade you to move in with Matilda and me?" The villager shot him a hopeful glance, and Steve gave him a small smile.

"Sorry bud, this is my home. I'm not leaving just 'cause of some spook that's decided it's a good place to hang out." He gave the dough one last jab before setting it in a bowl beside the other. "How is she, by the way? Matilda?"

"Doing pretty well for being a mother of four." Joe's face finally broke into a grin. "Soon to be five."

"I'd say congratulations, but I honestly kinda feel sorry for you." Steve grinned back, jabbing him with his elbow. "No wonder you showed up without warning."

"Hey, that had nothing to do with it." Joe paused. "Mostly. Anyway, how's the loner life?"

"Quiet, just like I like it." Steve dusted the flour off his hands, then headed towards the door, beckoning Joe to follow him. "C'mon, I'd have set aside some time to hang out if you'd called before showing up."

"That would take forethought, and you know I'm no good at that." The villager jabbed him back as he passed, then stood up and followed him out of the house

The two spent the rest of the afternoon chatting as Steve went about his chores, the only exception being Joe opting to stay inside while Steve restocked the food in the barn. Herobrine was a little too close to the building for his comfort, it seemed. The warrior, however, all but ignored Steve in favor of a particularly friendly cat that seemed to like hanging around him, and the miner soon finished and went back to his friend.

Joe stayed until sundown before gathering a small amount of produce Steve had offered him and heading back to his village on horseback. While ordinarily it would be dangerous to attempt such a journey at night, Joe had made the trip often enough that he knew the safest routes, and Steve trusted him to get home in one piece. So, they said their goodbyes, and the miner saw him out before rounding up his animals and putting them back in their respective buildings.

He was just locking up the barn when a sudden voice made him jump.

"_So you're not alone._" The miner whirled around and found himself almost face-to-face with Herobrine, who was standing a couple of blocks away.

"Uh-" He stammered, wondering briefly if he should draw his sword. "Um- yeah, I guess- I guess not."

"_That's interesting_." Herobrine looked down, examining his fingernails as if bored. "_Perhaps that's another factor into how you seem so content._"

"M-maybe." Herobrine was talking. He didn't seem mad. Was this a good time to…? "Um, Herobrine?" The Nether king lifted his head an inch. "Can I- ask what you're doing here?"

"_You may ask whatever you wish, but I reserve my right not to answer._" Was his unconcerned response.

"...okay." Steve dashed a hand through his hair nervously. "What are you doing here?"

"_What a pointless question. Is that the best you can do?_" Steve blinked in confusion.

"N-no, but I felt like that was probably the best question to start with?"

"_Hmm_." Herobrine looked away again. "_Stephanus._" Steve let out a nervous laugh.

"No one calls me that, please call me Ste-"

"_Stephanus_," Herobrine interrupted. "_You were at my execution, were you not?" Steve froze._

"I… yeah."

"_Then I'm sure you see my reasoning in no longer interacting with the players._"

"Y-yeah." What did this have to do with him?

"_I am bored, Stephanus. I can no longer torment the players like I did once_." Meeting his eyes once more with his mismatched ones, Herobrine offered him a hint of a smirk. "_You, however, are not a player._" With that, he vanished.

Steve didn't move for a good few seconds, frozen to the spot. That sounded like a threat, and Steve was starting to think he wouldn't be sleeping tonight. After a few moments, the miner managed to force his legs to move, and he hurried back towards the relative safety of his house.

"_Oh, and Stephanus_." He skidded to a stop at the voice, spinning around to see Herobrine standing behind him once more. "_The calico cat, does she have a name?_" Steve blinked.

"It's… Sandy."

"_Sandy_." Herobrine scoffed. "_I suppose I could have guessed that, given what I've heard you call your other pets._" Making a dismissive gesture, the Nether king turned away, disappearing once more.

"...right." Taking one more nervous look around, Steve turned and made his way inside.

The miner hurriedly punched down the loaves of bread he had left to rise before calling his animals around him, huddling into bed, and, after a good few hours, falling into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Steve awoke the next morning to a cow licking his face.

"What the Nether?" He sputtered, flailing at the beast the moment he registered what was happening. The cow backed away, starting to wander off, and Steve shoved himself upright as he wiped cow saliva off his face. The front door was open. He _never_ left the front door open. "You've got to be kidding me."

Groaning, the miner shoved himself out of bed and stumbled over to the window, peering out only to immediate scrunch up his face in a scowl. There was a large hole in the side of the barn, his cows were wandering all over the farm. And Herobrine was perched on a bale of hay, holding a fish just out of Sandy's reach.

Stomping over to the door, Steve poked his head out and yelled,

"Seriously?" Herobrine glanced over at him, and Sandy took the opportunity to spring up and snatch the fish out of his hand. "I was okay with you just hanging out

here, but this- this is- _really?_" That little nagging voice reminded him that he should probably stay on Herobrine's good side, and his anger cooled a bit. "Don't- don't you know I already have too much work to do?"

"_You know_," Herobrine shot back. "_I could have set your house ablaze while you slept. Would that be preferable, Stephanus?_"

"I- no!" A chill ran through him as a memory flashed through his mind, of the smell of smoke and cold water in his lungs. "Just- just _why?_" Whirling around, Steve hurried back inside and grabbed a stack of wheat from a chest. Immediately, the cow in his house began to follow him, and he lead her through the farm towards the barn.

Herobrine watched with mild interest as more of the cows followed him towards their enclosure. Steve just tried to forget he was there.

It took more than an hour to round up all the escaped cows, then patch up the hole that Herobrine had presumably made. With such a late start on his chores, Steve had to rush to get through feeding the other animals, and remembered around noon to cook the loaves of bread he had started working on the previous day. Herobrine seemed content to sit on his pile of hay bales the entire day, and Sandy was usually at his side. Traitor.

Steve didn't get to bed until around midnight that night, upon doing which he collapsed onto the mattress and passed out. Unfortunately, Herobrine wasn't done with his dumb pranks. Upon waking up the next morning and going to retrieve a stack of wheat to feed the animals, Steve found that the contents of all his chests had been switched around at random, leaving him at a complete loss when it came to finding his items.

While this was very annoying, it didn't take long for him to admit to himself that yes, this was preferable to being cooked alive in his sleep. If this was the extent of the "torment" that Herobrine had alluded to, he'd be okay with that.

* * *

"Aw, really?" Steve groaned as fractured pieces of his pickaxe slipped out of his hands and onto the ground. The miner glanced back at his trail of torches, then, with a sigh, placed a crafting table and crafted a furnace. Too long of a walk back to get a new one, he'd have to craft one right here.

Setting a block of ore into the furnace to smelt, Steve sat down against a piece of stone and leaned back on his arms. He'd been running dangerously low on iron ingots, so after finishing his chores for the day he'd decided to venture into the mines. While mining in a straight line, he'd run into an unexplored cavern, and was now cautiously making his way through it. Unfortunately, he had been on his last pickaxe, and now it was broken. He had to wait for three more ingots to smelt before being able to continue.

A zombie's snarl echoed through the darkness, and Steve shifted his axe into his hand. There was always a danger of mobs while mining, but usually he was able to handle them. Unfortunately, unlike on the surface, he was unable to just flee into his house if the battle got too tough. He'd have to play it safe. Equipping his shield, the miner got to his feet, watching the darkness warily for any sign of the monster.

A second moan reached his ears, and he caught sight of a humanoid figure in the darkness, limping towards him with arms moment it stepped into his circle of torchlight, though, Steve whirled around and lopped the zombie's head off of its' shoulders.

Another groan sounded as the first zombie's head hit the ground, and Steve held up another torch, illuminating another decaying corpse stumbling towards him, and readied his axe. Before he could swing, though, something heavy hit him from behind, knocking the breath from his lungs as he hit the ground on his stomach.

A spider's screech alerted him of the nature of the mob balanced on his back, and he twisted on the ground, shoving the head of his axe into the giant spider's abdomen. The creature let out a dying screech, legs curling around him, and he spun just in time to sever the approaching zombie's foot from its' leg, sending it crashing to the ground a foot away.

Scrambling away, Steve wrestled the spider's corpse off of him and retreated to next to his furnace, quickly replacing the smelted ingot with a new block of ore as the injured zombie dragged itself towards him. Snatching up his axe, Steve raised it above his head, bringing it down on the zombie's skull and crushing it.

"Geez." Shoving the zombie's body away with his foot, Steve glanced around the dark cave, contemplating whether or not to try and light up the rest of the cave. It would help with mobs spawning, but he could get caught off guard while doing it.

As the miner considered this, something sharp hit him in the right shoulder, and he tumbled forward as pain spiked through him.

Steve swore, reaching back and yanking out the arrow embedded in his flesh. He heard a bowstring being pulled taut, and quickly pulled out a stack of cobblestone, placing two blocks behind him to shield himself from the skeleton archer. An arrow pinged off the wall, and he placed six more blocks around him, then one above his head.

Hunched forward in the cramped space, Steve reached up to grab his shoulder, trying to slow the flow of blood by putting pressure on the wound. It wasn't that bad, but he could hear the rattling of bones outside, along with a spider's screech and the groans of a couple of zombies. He wouldn't be able to fight with his arm like this.

Carefully, Steve pulled out a torch, setting it on the ground beside him before shifting back against the wall of his shelter and grabbing his shoulder again. Maybe the mobs would lose interest. He had a little bit of food, he could probably hold out. Settling into the corner, Steve closed his eyes and prepared to wait out the night.

* * *

Steve hadn't gotten up yet.

Herobrine watched the quiet cabin with narrowed eyes, absently petting the cat curled up in his lap. If nothing else, the mortal was exceptionally punctual. He'd never seen him get up more than an hour past sunrise before. Was something wrong?

Gently brushing the cat off of his lap, the nether king stood and ambled towards the cabin. He studied the inside through the windows with his working eye as he approached, but there was no sign of any movement. Where did he go? After a moment of hovering outside, Herobrine headed to the door and let himself in.

The house was as neat as it always was, and the warrior considered rearranging the layout again before remembering his mission. The only way out of the house that he wouldn't have seen him take was a hole in the floor with a ladder leading down into it - Steve's mineshaft. Was he down there?

Herobrine stepped over to the hole, looked down, then teleported to the bottom. Several straight tunnels branched out from the small room hollowed out at the bottom, and the warrior spun around before choosing one and random and teleporting a fair distance down.

As he started to walk, he sensed a number of mobs clustered in a cavern nearby. On a hunch, he teleported closer, and found a fair number of mobs wandering in a dark cave, a cobblestone shelter illuminated only by a single torch and the embers of a furnace.

"_Begone with you._" Herobrine growled, under his breath in case the mortal could hear him, and the mobs scuttled off into the darkness. Cautiously, the warrior approached the shelter, casting a glance at the abandoned furnace a few blocks away. Stephanus had presumably been attacked while smelting ore, and been unable to defend himself.

Quietly, Herobrine removed one of the cobblestone blocks, and the dancing light from the torch on the wall revealed Steve's body curled up on the stone. He was alive, his chest rising and falling rhythmically, but blood stained his sleeve and the floor around him. Not enough for him to pass out from blood loss, he must just be asleep.

Removing another block, Herobrine pulled the cooled iron ingot out of the furnace, then dropped it to land on the floor with a loud _clank_. The sound startled Steve awake, and Herobrine quickly teleported to the far side of the cavern as the injured man sat up with a shaky gasp.

A few moments of silence passed, then, slowly, Steve stepped out through the hole Herobrine had made in his shelter, cradling his right arm with his left. His eyes swept the cave, and Herobrine closed his own to keep the glow from giving him away. He waited a moment, then reopened them to see the miner slowly making his way down the tunnel towards his exit, leaving his crafting table and furnace behind.

Herobrine followed the miner at a distance, keeping the mobs away as he made his way home. Upon reaching the ladder, Steve was met with a new dilemma as he realized that he would have difficulty climbing it with an injured arm. Herobrine considered helping him, but quickly decided against it. He'd figure it out.

Instead, the nether king teleported to the surface, making himself busy performing the few chores that he had seen Stephanus complete every morning. He released the cows into their pen, fed the sheep and pigs, and restocked the furnaces with coal. Then he retreated to his stack of hay bales. Surely the miner would make it to the surface soon.

About half an hour later, Steve finally appeared. His shoulder was wrapped in fabric, and, while it appeared a bit stiff, he seemed to be able to use it now. He seemed visibly confused at several of his chores already being done, and cast a few glances in the nether king's direction, but Herobrine ignored him. He could come to his own conclusions if he wished.

Although he waited, Herobrine was never approached with the question of what had happened that morning. Indeed, the miner all but ignored him, spending most of the rest of the day inside. Presumably he was resting. He came outside to put away the animals for the night, then vanished back into his cabin.


	4. Condescending

**time to break out the google translate**

* * *

Steve dragged a bucket of water along the ground with his good arm, scowling as some of the water sloshed out onto the grass. While his injured arm was healing pretty well, it was still very sore, making it quite difficult to do the heavy lifting required to water the animals. A usually mindless chore became quite difficult when he was faced with such an inconvenient injury.

Herobrine was watching him again, chin resting in his palm as he reclined on a stack of hay bales. There was a hint of a smile on his face, apparently he found amusement in his struggles. Steve just tried to ignore him. The white eyes trained on him were always uncomfortable, but it was worse when he was already injured. He felt like a wounded animal being stalked by a predator.

Although… when he had finally made it back to the surface the previous day, he had found the animals already taken care of. The only other person there was Herobrine, and though he didn't bring it up, Steve had a sneaking suspicion as to who had helped him. Not to mention that he had awoken to, despite his shelter being incomplete, still being alive. He didn't remember leaving a gaping hole in the walls of his hiding place, but it was likely enough that he had messed it up in his exhausted and wounded state. The only way that he could comprehend surviving the night was if he had help.

Muddling over these thoughts, Steve didn't see the rock jutting out of the ground until too late, and tripped, sending his bucket of water onto its side as he crashed to the ground. Groaning, Steve flipped over on his back and glared at the sky. Today was not his day.

The miner laid there for a couple minutes, ignoring the spilled water soaking into his jeans. He was exhausted, though he wasn't sure why. He'd actually gotten more sleep than usual, he'd woken up half an hour late this morning due to his injury. Probably attempting to work as normal yesterday with only one working arm had done more harm than good.

"_Need a hand?_" Steve jumped at the voice, looking up in alarm to find Herobrine standing a couple blocks away.

"I think I'm-" He started, but the demigod didn't wait for an answer, picking up the discarded bucket and teleporting away. Steve didn't move for a couple of seconds, then Herobrine returned, standing over him with the filled bucket at his side.

Quickly, the miner scrambled to his feet, Herobrine and cold water was a combination he really didn't like. But his twin didn't move as he backed away, and Steve watched him warily for a few seconds before managing,

"Thanks." He reached out to take the bucket, but Herobrine lifted it effortlessly out of his reach.

"_Allow me. It's just discouraging watching you fall down._" Turning away, Herobrine started towards the barn, and Steve followed a few steps behind.

The pair entered the barn, and Herobrine poured the bucket into the cows' water trough - apparently he'd been paying attention.

"Thanks." Steve repeated awkwardly. Herobrine grunted in acknowledgement, then turned for the exit again. The miner followed him out, not sure how he felt about being helped by the demigod. He didn't really like the thought of having to rely on him, but, he'd offered - and not really given him an option.

About halfway across the space between the barn and his house, Herobrine set the bucket on the ground and teleported back to his stack of hay. Steve scooped up the empty bucket with his bad arm, and headed back to the house to get more food.

About 20 minutes later, Steve found himself on his back on the ground again, a pig perched on his chest and munching away at the bundle of carrots in his hands. Defeated, Steve let his head drop into the dirt. 200 pounds of pig was impossible for him to shove off with an injured arm, he'd have to wait for the beast to get off.

"_Get off._" Steve heard a footstep behind his head, and looked up just before the pig leapt off of him with a squeal. The crushing weight on his lungs removed, the miner let out a hacking cough before craning his neck behind him to see Herobrine standing over him.

The warrior offered him a hand, and Steve gave it a wary glance, but ultimately refused it and struggled to his feet on his own, dusting the dirt off his clothes.

"_Don't tell me you're too proud to accept my help._" Herobrine raised an eyebrow, and Steve met his eyes stiffly.

"More like suspicious about your motivations."

"_What harm could you possibly do by accepting my help?_"

"Well it's- it's not like it did me much good last time." Steve took a step back, nudging away a pig with his foot.

"_Last time?_"

"Last time I trusted you, _Brian_." Steve snapped. "Don't pretend you don't remember."

"_You know that's not my name._"

"Yeah, _now_ I do." Running his good hand through his hair, Steve looked away. "Look, I don't- I don't think it's a bad thing you're helping me. I appreciate it. But you can't blame me for not trusting you. You've done- a _lot_."

"_I saved your life in the mines the other night._" Herobrine retorted. Steve blinked.

"I- well, I kinda guessed something like that had happened, given I survived the night. But do you seriously think that makes up for everything? If you had your way, I'd be dead at least twice over now."

"_It doesn't have to make up for anything. And how you treat me will ultimately have no effect on what I do to you."_ Herobrine jabbed him with a finger, and Steve stumbled back, tripping over a pig and falling down again with an _oof_. "_Do you know why Notch created you?"_ Steve held his breath, waiting for him to go on, but the demigod only watched him silently.

"I- no."

"_For my amusement._" Steve balked. That's impossible. Notch was a kind leader, there's no way he would have made him just for Herobrine to-

"You're lying." He sputtered. "F-first off, you told me once that you hurt me because I was his favorite. How could that be possible if I was just supposed to be your- your plaything?"

"_I'm just telling you what I know."_

"I don't believe you."

"_Why else would he abandon you to suffer me?_" Herobrine shot back. "_If you recall correctly, he didn't abandon _me_._"

"I can't rely on Notch for everything! Sometimes you need to take responsibility for your own actions." Steve shoved himself up, only to yelp in pain when his injured shoulder was jarred. "Just… _please _stop. I don't know why you're here, I don't know why you're acting like- like _this-_" The miner gestured to him with his free hand. "But I'm not falling for it again. Please leave me alone." Painstakingly, Steve got to his feet, keeping a wary eye on Herobrine's face and praying to Notch that his speech wasn't the last straw.

* * *

"Ungrateful" wasn't quite strong enough a word to use for the miner.

Herobrine watched as Stephanus stumbled upright, seething at the sheer arrogance of his words. Being wary of his intentions was one thing, but accusing him of lying was on a whole other level. _Especially _since he had admitted to knowing he'd saved his life.

"_Very well._" He spoke at last. "_If you don't want my help, I will not give it._" With that, he teleported back to the Nether. He had no more patience left for the miner today.

After about 15 minutes of sulking on his throne, however, Herobrine remembered why exactly he'd been so bored here. His only company were the near-mindless mobs, which wandered around his temple aimlessly and provided little to no amusement. He already found himself missing the affectionate nature of the Overworld mobs.

Finally, after about an hour of complaining to himself, the nether king drifted off into a frustrated sleep.

* * *

[Notch]: Herobrine! It's been too long, my brother.

Herobrine hesitated in the doorway of Notch's build, then stepped through, shutting the door behind him. In front of him, his creator's avatar stood with a flower in his hand in the middle of a few - apparently new - mobs, as the creatures buzzing around him were like nothing he had ever seen.

[Herobrine]: Notch.

[Notch]: I apologize for my absence, I have been very busy. How have you been faring?

The nether king took a moment to formulate his response before replying.

[Herobrine]: Not poorly, but it's becoming very dull in the Nether.

[Notch]: Ah, I understand.

[Notch]: It has been unchanged for a long time now… I do have plans to update it, but it will be a long time yet.

[Notch]: especially for you, given the difference between how time passes for us.

Herobrine nodded, eyeing the new mobs.

[Notch]: These are bees. They're coming out in update 1.15.

[Notch]: They will provide a new resource for players, as well as assisting with farming.

[Herobrine]: I'm sure that will be useful.

The thought of farming reminded him of Stephanus.

[Herobrine]: Notch

[Herobrine]: Do you remember the new Steve?

[Notch]: Yes, of course.

[Notch]: Why?

[Herobrine]: I have been watching him. Interacting, some.

[Notch]: Positively, I hope.

[Herobrine]: For the most part.

[Herobrine]: Notch…

[Herobrine]: Vad gör jag fel?

There was a pause, presumably as Notch processed his question.

[Notch]: Vad menar du?

[Herobrine]: Varför är han ... lyckligare än jag? Du gav mig all denna kraft, varför kan jag inte nöja mig med det?

[Herobrine]: Jag var en gång glad över att vara en mördare. Varför kan jag inte längre?

[Herobrine]: Efter vad som hände med mig …

[Herobrine]: Allt som en gång gav mig glädje är nu borta.

[Herobrine]: Jag vet inte hur jag får tillbaka det.

Again, Notch was silent for a few moments, and Herobrine shifted his stance on the carpet. It wouldn't really surprise him if Notch just brushed him off, but he dearly hoped he wouldn't.

[Notch]: Jag tror att du litar för mycket på din kraft för att ge dig glädje.

[Notch]: Du skapades inte för att vara en mördare eller ett hot mot de i min värld. Jag älskar dig mycket trots att du inte var min ursprungliga vision, men jag tror …

[Notch]: Till viss del skapas du i min bild. du är ungefär som en människa i min värld. Och medan många av oss får glädje genom att föra ner andra, mer av oss finner glädje i att lyfta upp andra.

[Notch]: Det jag säger är …

[Notch]: Jag vet att jag inte kan följa dig så mycket som jag skulle vilja, så var inte rädd att bli vänner med andra. Få vänner med Steve. När allt var hans syfte - att vara din vän.

[Notch]: Jag är ledsen om det inte var det du ville höra, men jag vill hjälpa dig. Följ mitt råd, lillebror.

Herobrine shuffled the toe of his boot on the carpet, frowning down at the ground.

[Herobrine]: Jag vill inte behöva lita på en person för att vara lycklig.

[Notch]: Jag vet.

[Notch]: Det är svårt att lita på, särskilt med tanke på vad som hände med dig.

[Notch]: Men jag skapade Steve för att komplimenta dig. Jag kan inte garantera att han inte skadar dig, men han är en bra man. Han kan vara en god vän.

[Notch]: Ge honom en chans, låt honom bevisa det för dig.

Herobrine mulled over his words for a few moments, tracking one of the 'bees' with his working eye. Finally, he responded,

[Herobrine]: Very well. I will give it a chance.

[Notch]: Thank you.

Notch's avatar took a step towards him, placing a blocky hand on his shoulder.

[Notch]: I have to get off for a meeting. I hope to see you soon, little brother.

[Herobrine]: As do I.

Notch disappeared, and the new mobs dispersed, lazily flying away and out through the windows in search of more flowers.

* * *

Herobrine awoke slowly to the sounds of mobs, blinking his working eye open to see a wither skeleton passing quietly through his throne room. A dream…? Is that all it had been?

With a shuddering sigh, Herobrine straightened up and stretched his arms above his head. How disappointing. He would give quite a bit to be able to speak with Notch again. But, as he had stated in his dream… he was too busy for a silent, useless AI who spent his time tormenting the player base he had worked so hard to create.

As he lowered his hand, however, Herobrine's hand brushed something soft, and he reached up again and pulled a flower out of his hair. He stared blankly at the item for a few moments - a poppy. The flower that Notch had been holding in his dream.

The nether king stared for a few moments more, twisting the flower stem between his fingers. It was all but impossible that one of the mobs had placed it there while he slept - none of them would be so foolish. So, Notch…? Had he really…?

"_Tack, Notch._" He mumbled under his breath. "_Jag kommer att ge vänskap en chans._"


	5. Panic

"For Notch's sake!" Steve exclaimed, scowling as he dropped a freshly-smelted iron ingot on the floor for the third time today. His fingers wouldn't stop shaking, despite the warm weather. He was seriously considering just giving up and going to bed.

"Wish I had some potions." He muttered under his breath, leaning down and scooping up the bar of metal with his left hand. Unfortunately, he was all out of regeneration, and there was no way he was going to the Nether to try and get ghast tears in this condition. He COULD go harvest some melons to make some instant health pots, but it was a rather long walk to the jungle. He really should bring back some seeds this time.

"Might as well." He reasoned aloud, straightening up and cradling his injured arm to his chest. "Not like I can do much else in this condition." He was starting to regret refusing Herobrine's help a bit. Just a bit.

Taking a stack of steak and equipping some armor - a helmet, boots, and leggings, as the chestplate put too much pressure on his shoulder - Steve collected a pair of his dogs, saddled a horse, and started off to the northwest. There was a large jungle about an hour's ride away, which was pretty close, but he rarely visited regardless. He had a lot to do on the farm and the trip was rarely worth it. It should be fairly safe, though, his horse was fast enough that he should be able to outrun any mobs even should he be caught out after dark.

The ride was mostly uneventful, it took place over mostly savannah and through a small birch forest before ending at the jungle. Once he arrived, Steve placed a fence post and hitched his horse to it before venturing into the trees.

It took him about ten minutes to find a patch of melons, and he harvested them as quickly as he could before turning around and hurrying back to where he had left his steed. The sun was actively dipping below the horizon, and nervousness pricked its' way up his spine as he started the ride home. Fast horse or not, he didn't like being out after the sun went down.

His fears were validated about fifteen minutes later.

Passing through the birch forest meant he had to slow down, for fear of his horse tripping or getting caught in the underbrush. As he picked his way through the dark biome, he heard Apples growl, and quickly lifted a torch to look around. No mobs were in sight, but he trusted his wolves' sense of smell far more than his own sense of sight.

Abruptly, Apples dashed out of view, and Steve heard the rattling of bones as a skeleton fled for its' life. Hoping to Notch that it was the only one, Steve glanced up at the rising moon to solidify his sense of direction before beginning to make his way forward again.

A skeleton's bowstring loosed in the darkness to his left, and his horse screamed.

"Whoa!" He yelped, grasping at the beast's neck as it pranced about nervously. Steve could see an arrow's shaft jutting out of its' thigh in the light of his torch, and pressed his heels against its' midsection. "I know buddy, it hurts, but we have to get to safety before I can-" A second arrow found its mark, and Steve cut himself off with a cry as he was bucked off the horse's back and thrown into the dirt.

"Crap, crap, crap." He hissed, scrambling to his feet and grasping at his throbbing shoulder. Getting thrown was never a good thing, but hitting his shoulder had meant the pain had intensified tenfold for the next few minutes.

Eyes flitting around in the darkness, he spotted his torch lying on the ground a good ten feet away. If he tried to get it, he would certainly be shot. He wanted to whistle for his dogs, but was afraid that the sound would alert the nearby mobs to his presence. Instead, Steve sunk to the ground again, leaning back against the trunk of a tree and making himself as small as possible.

He heard bones rattling as the skeleton - or skeletons? - moved around, and bit his lip as his shoulder ebbed with a particularly nasty spike of pain. Where were Apples and Cranberry…?

Something shifted in the foliage behind him, and he held his breath, waiting and praying that it was one of his wolves.

A zombie's moan confirmed his worst fears, but he didn't have time to move before rotting teeth sunk into his shoulder.

Steve screamed, jerking away and hurling a stick at the undead creature. He made a mad dash for his light source, only for an arrow to whistle past his head and stick in another tree. He snatched up the torch, but it nearly slipped from his shaking fingers. The zombie had bitten his previously good arm, and he could feel cold pain snaking its way through his veins. He could die here.

A furry body shot past his field of vision, followed quickly by the sound of a skeleton dying. The zombie appeared out of the darkness again, and Steve swung his torch at it blindly in an effort to keep it away. The creature was barely fazed, and its' cold fingers brushed his arm before Cranberry tackled it from the side, tearing out its' throat.

"Good girl." Steve gasped out, sinking to the ground. "Notch, I h-hate undead." Setting the torch upright on the ground, he lifted a shaky hand towards the fresh wound on his shoulder, carefully prodding at the bloodied area. It wasn't too deep, but he could already feel the hunger setting in from the bite. At least he had food.

Apples appeared at his side with a whine, and Steve gave her a pat before picking up his torch again and lifting it to get a better view of the clearing. He couldn't see any other mobs - at first, then a spider crawled out of a tree and made a beeline for him.

Steve hurled another stick at it, and the wolves set upon it, killing it with relative ease. Peering around himself, Steve let out a breath, leaning back against the tree as he took the opportunity to rest.

Then he heard a hissing, right next to his ear.

Time seemed to slow down as he whirled to face the creeper, jerking away and shielding his face with his arm. Such a gesture was pointless, given that the explosion would kill him at this range, he realized faintly. There was no way he could get out of the way in time.

A few seconds passed, and it didn't explode. Bewildered, Steve lowered his arm, and looked up to find a single, white eye staring back.

Neither him nor his savior moved for a few moments, Steve trying and failing to catch his breath from the scare he just had. In his peripheral vision, something burst into green and yellow sparks, and Steve's wide eyes shot to the remains of the creature before he collapsed onto his back.

"Brian." His voice shook, and he realized a moment too late that he'd called him by the wrong name.

"_What are you doing all the way out here?_" Herobrine scolded, sheathing his sword. "_If I hadn't come looking for you, you could have died._"

"I w-went to the jungle to get some melons for health potions." Steve laid his forearm over his eyes, laboured breathing starting to relax. "I was attacked on the way back, and my horse fled. I thought I'd be able to outrun them."

"_Clearly not._" A pause. "_What happened?_"

"This?" The miner uncovered his face, craning his neck to look at his bloody shoulder. "A zombie bit me."

"_Did you not bring weapons?_"

"Just an axe, and I can't use it with my bad arm." Steve's gaze dropped to the ground. "I brought my dogs with me, I guess- I guess I thought they'd be enough to protect me."

"_Hmm._" Herobrine knelt down beside him, and Steve froze as he was grabbed by the arms and hauled to his feet. "_You need to get home._"

"I-I know." Steve stammered out through chattering teeth. "I-I don't know where my horse is."

"_It's not that far. You can walk back._" Steve visibly winced at the prospect, and Herobrine eyed his wound. "_Are you badly hurt?"_

"Just a scratch." Steve hastened to say. He could make it home.

"_Let me see._" The demigod reached for his shoulder, but Steve jerked away, slapping a hand over the raw area and biting back a hiss at the pain his movements brought.

"Let's just go."

"_Your condition will only worsen if you allow it to linger uncared for._" Herobrine protested, grabbing his wrist, but Steve snatched it away, heart hammering in his chest.

"Let me get home and make my potions. I'll be fine until then."

"_If you make it back." _A bottle of water materialized in Herobrine's hand. "_For Notch's sake, just let me see it. I'm trying to help you._" The demigod reached out, touching the base of the miner's neck, and Steve's vision went white as his mind screamed _danger choking pain cold cold smoke cold heat cold screams pain pain pain -_

Blindly, he lashed out.

"_I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!_"

* * *

"_I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!_" Something hard hit him in the side of the head, and Herobrine recoiled at the alien feeling of pain. Blinking the disorientation out of his vision, the demigod looked up to find Stephanus backing away, his torch clutched in both his shaking hands. He looked somehow more frightened than he had a minute before, cornered by mobs and alone in the darkness.

Herobrine resisted the urge to scowl at him, knowing it would only panic him further. He didn't know what the Nether had set him off like that, but at this rate he would only hurt himself worse. Stepping forward, he swiped the torch with ease, planting it in the grass behind him as the miner scrambled back with a gasp of alarm.

"_Calm down._" His words came out in a growl, but Stephanus didn't seem to hear him, eyes trained on his single glowing one. Slowly, Herobrine lifted both his hands, revealing he was unarmed, before beginning to advance again. He backed the miner into a tree, reaching for his shoulder again, only for the human to sink to his knees to avoid him. Grumbling, Herobrine sat down beside him, and Stephanus went stiff as he took him by the arm and started to tear away his shirt around the bite wound.

Uncorking his bottle of water, Herobrine pinned the miner against the tree trunk with one hand to keep him still while using the other to pour the liquid over his wound. Steve was frozen, but emitted a small whimper as the cold water washed away some of the zombie's corrosive venom. Taking the hem of his already tattered shirt, Herobrine tore off a strip and pressed it against the scrapes on the miner's shoulder.

"Stop." Steve gasped out, scrabbling at his arm, and Herobrine let out a huff before catching up the miner's wrists and holding them firmly as he wiped away the black crust forming on the surface of the wound. He struggled feebly, but he was far too weak to break free.

Herobrine heard a soft whine from behind him, and glanced over his shoulder to find a pair of Steve's tamed wolves watching from the shadows. He beckoned them closer, and they bounded forwards to his side. Unlike their master, who was cowering against the tree trunk Herobrine had him pinned against, they seemed to have plenty of faith in him.

Turning back to the job at hand, Herobrine tossed the soiled scrap of fabric away and scrutinized the wound once more. It was red and raw, but not deep. It would heal fairly quickly if cared for correctly. Tearing off another strip of fabric, the warrior began to wrap it tightly around the miner's shoulder, trying to ignore the pathetic noises he was making.

One of the dogs nudged his hand with her nose, and Herobrine pushed her away, but immediately Steve lurched forward, crying out,

"_Don't!_"

"_I'm not going to hurt your dogs either._" The demigod shoved him back against the tree trunk, forearm pressed against his chest. "_Hold still_."

"Please don't." The miner pleaded, and Herobrine grumbled under his breath, wrapping the makeshift bandage tightly around the wound and tying it in place. It wasn't the cleanest bandage, but it would help put pressure on the wound until they got back to more resources.

"_I'm done._" He announced, releasing Stephanus' wrists and sitting back. "_Get up. We need to get back to your base._" Trembling, the human stared up at him, but didn't move. Sighing, Herobrine glanced at the pair of wolves. "_I don't suppose you two could assist me?_" He would really prefer _not_ to have to haul him the entire walk back.

A soft nicker caught his attention, and the nether king glanced up to find a dappled mare watching him from between the tree trunks. The beast was saddled, but had two arrows jutting out of her flesh. Throwing one last glance at Steve, huddled up on the ground against a tree, he turned and approached the horse as he drew a small knife.

"_I'm sorry to cause you greater pain, but this will be more comfortable in the long run."_ He murmured as he stepped behind her, trailing his free hand down her back as not to startle her. As quickly as he could, to avoid being kicked, Herobrine slid the point of the knife along the arrowhead and pried it out of the horse's body. She let out an anxious whinny as he tossed the arrow away, prancing nervously in place, but didn't kick and he quickly removed the other arrow as well.

Stephanus hadn't moved when he returned, leading his horse by the reins, and blinked up at him as he stopped in front of him.

"_On your feet._" Herobrine ordered, and the miner heistated, but pushed himself upright, steadying himself on the tree. "_Get on._" Stiffly, he obeyed, struggling into the saddle and sinking down over the horse's neck. Once he was situated, Herobrine clicked his tongue, tugging on the reins, and the mare began to follow him through the woods.

For a few minutes, there was silence, other than the sound of the mare's footsteps in the grass. No mob would dare attack him, they had enough of a sense of self-preservation to know not to cross their master. As they crossed from the forest onto the savannah, though, Steve finally spoke up, his voice scratchy.

"Why?" Herobrine glanced back to find him sitting up in the saddle as best as he could. "Why'd you help me?" The demigod turned away again.

"_You needed it, regardless of what you've told me._"

"But why do you care?" The miner protested.

"_I don't."_

"Then why-" He cut himself off with a hacking cough. "Why go to the trouble?"

"_That's none of your concern."_

"But-"

"_Rest._" Herobrine interrupted. "_You're injured._" Steve fell silent.

Neither of them spoke for the rest of the night.


	6. A Start

**(updates 17 times in the span of 3 hours)**

* * *

Steve had no idea why he was still alive.

The miner leaned forward on his horse's neck, his hands clasped together to try and keep them from shaking. In front of him, Herobrine walked, silently leading his horse across the empty plain. Apples and Cranberry were at the demigod's heels, trotting along behind him without a care in the world.

There was a dull throbbing in his left shoulder, but it felt pretty good considering he'd been gnawed on by a zombie. He couldn't remember much of the past hour, but somehow he'd made it out relatively unharmed.

He remembered being attacked by mobs in the woods, and almost being blown up by a creeper before Herobrine appeared and saved him (?). The only thing he remembered after that was being scared out of his wits, until he finally came to and found his shoulder wrapped (?) and Herobrine carefully removing the arrows from his horse (?). He wasn't hurt any worse, his animals were safe, and as far as he'd noticed he wasn't missing anything either. As far as he knew, the demigod hadn't taken advantage of him in any way.

He just didn't understand _why_. This night bore a strong resemblance that night a long time ago, in which he nearly died and all but one of his dogs did. His tired eyes swept over to Apples, who looked perfectly at ease to be beside the man who had killed all of her kin. Guess she didn't remember.

But… Herobrine had had a million chances recently to finish him off, or hurt him in some way, and he hadn't taken a single one. He'd even tried - and succeeded - to help. He didn't want to trust him, but every single one of his recent actions pointed towards him having changed. He still didn't know _why,_ but it probably had something to do with what the players had done to him the last time he saw him a few years ago.

Resting his head on his arms, Steve let his eyes fall shut. He could trust Herobrine, at least long enough to get home.

* * *

The sun was rising by the time they arrived back at Stephanus' base.

The miner was fast asleep on his horse's back, fingers unconsciously tangled in her mane. The dogs seemed just as cheerful as ever, but the mare was close to collapsing on her feet, plodding slowly across the packed path that lead to Stephanus' house.

When they reached the door, Herobrine stopped, eyeing the human for a moment as he debated whether or not to wake him up. He eventually came to the conclusion that the miner would heal faster if he was allowed to sleep, so the demigod carefully slid him out of the saddle and laid him over his shoulder. As quietly as he could to avoid waking him, Herobrine carried Stephanus into his house and laid him on his bed, pulling a blanket over him before turning and heading back outside.

The warrior took Steve's mare and penned her up in the stable, bringing her some apples to help her heal. The dogs didn't seem tired nor hungry, but he fed them too regardless. It had been a long night for all of them.

Herobrine wandered around the farm for a little while, taking care of Steve's animals, before going back to the house and waiting for him to wake up. It was… very strange, feeling any sense of loyalty for a human. The pity was familiar, though. He never could help feeling sorry for the man, even back when his injuries were caused by him. There was no reason for it to be any different now.

A couple of hours passed, and Herobrine finally grew tired of waiting for the miner to awake. His bandages needed to be switched out, the ones on his right shoulder were starting to bleed through from his wound a few days prior and the ones on his left had been a shoddy job in the first place. After collecting water and bandages, the demigod pulled a chair over next to the bed, and prodded at his patient's face to wake him up.

"_Wake up, Stephanus._"

* * *

"_Wake up, Stephanus." _Steve scrunched up his face in a scowl as something poked him in the face, lifting his hand to swat it away. A spike of pain shot up his arm as his shoulder protested at the movement, and he winced, opening his eyes to see a face with blank, white eyes directly above him.

"Notch!" He yelped, jerking away as his eyes shot wide open. Herobrine leaned back, raising an eyebrow at him.

"_Wrong brother, but close enough I suppose._"

"That's not- never mind." Steve pushed himself up, eyes darting around the room. He was in his home, in his bed. Herobrine sat next to his bedside, a roll of bandages and a couple of bottles of water set on the sheets beside him. The miner's hands shook, and he choked out, "What are you doing here?"

"_Do you recall what happened last night?_" Herobrine tilted his head, and Steve looked down at the sheets.

"Most of it, anyway."

"_Your wounds need re-dressed, and it would be very difficult for you to do it on your own." _The demigod stated. "_Will you let me do it or are you going to throw another tantrum?_" Steve flushed red.

"I didn't- there was a lot going on last night."

"_I'm aware._" Herobrine stopped, and Steve sat there for a moment before realizing he was waiting for an answer.

"A-and yeah, I'll let you do it."

"_Good._" Leaning forward, Herobrine took ahold of his left shoulder with one hand, then lifted up a knife with the other.

"Whoa!" Steve yelped, his other hand shooting out to grab his wrist. "W-what-"

"_I'm going to use this to cut away the bandages._" Herobrine explained, a note of irritation in his voice. "_Stop struggling and allow me to work._" Steve hesitated, then let go, turning his head the other direction and staring out the window to distract himself as he felt the tip of the knife slip under one of the makeshift bandages and cut through it with a quick jerk.

The miner focused on a chicken walking past outside, watching as she pecked at the grass off the path. A sharp pain dragged his attention back to his shoulder, and he looked back to find Herobrine pressing a soaked cloth against his shoulder. Steve caught sight of the wound as Herobrine lifted the rag for a moment, and frowned. There was a thin, black film over the surface of the scrapes, but otherwise it didn't look too bad. Pretty good for having been bitten by a zombie.

The demigod spent a couple more minutes cleaning the scrapes, then wrapped them snugly in new bandages.

"_Turn over."_ Steve jumped at his voice, but obeyed, rolling over on his stomach and resting his arms on his pillow. Herobrine picked up the knife again, and the miner watched this time as he cut away the soiled bandages with a practiced flick of his wrist.

Steve flinched at the sight as Herobrine peeled the fabric away from his wound. The skin around it was red and irritated, but the wound itself looked pale and yellowish. A sign of infection.

"_Did you end up getting those melons you mentioned?_" Herobrine asked, and Steve blinked up at him before giving him a single nod. "_Give them to me._" Wordlessly, the miner fished them out of his inventory, handing them over. Without so much as a thank you, Herobrine stood and crossed the room, collecting gold, netherwart, and empty bottles from their respective chests.

He disappeared for a minute, then came back and attached three of the now-full bottles to Steve's brewing stand. Making health potions.

As he waited for the netherwart to be infused into the water, Herobrine returned to his side and sat down again, ignoring his questioning glance and beginning to clean out the wound with a damp wad of bandages.

"_Did you clean this as soon as you could?" _The demigod's voice startled him, and Steve stammered out a response.

"Y-yeah, I tried. I guess not well enough."

"_Evidently not_." Herobrine cleaned the wound in silence for a few more moments, then stated, "_I believe this will need stitches._"

"W-what?" Steve stammered, feeling his heartbeat pick up speed at the thought. He didn't like needles, and, friendly or not, he wasn't sure he trusted Herobrine to be stitching him up.

"_Do you have a needle and thread?_" The demigod asked, ignoring his question.

"Somewhere, but just- just clothes thread."

"_That will do._" Standing up, Herobrine crossed the room again, opened a chest, and pulled out his small sewing kit. Huh.

Steve watched in apprehension as the demigod threaded a needle, then sat down beside him again. Taking his shoulder with one hand, Herobrine reached towards him with the needle.

"Wait." Steve yelped at the last moment, jerking away. "Are you sure you have to? Can't we just wait for the potions to finish brewing?"

"_The potions will reduce swelling and help to clear the infection. They will not fully heal you."_ Herobrine responded firmly. "_Hold still, my depth perception isn't what it once was._" He reached towards him again, but the miner squirmed away once more, rolling back over.

"Should I really trust you with a needle, then?"

"_Would you rather let me stitch it up, or risk permanent damage to your shoulder?_" Herobrine snapped. "_Hold still._" He grabbed his shoulder, roughly this time, and Steve jerked as his vision went white. Images flashed across his vision, of white stained with red under pale moonlight, then he felt a prick on his shoulder and cried out.

"Stop!" His hand shooting out, he grabbed Herobrine's wrist, knuckles going white from the force of his grip. The demigod immediately tugged away, but Steve held fast. "Just stop." He repeated, shifting farther away as the whiteness began to fade. "I n-need a minute." Herobrine's eyes narrowed, his face blank.

"_Let go._" Steve released him as though he were a hot iron.

"J-just let me rest for a second." He managed, pressing his hand over the wound. "Just a couple minutes." The warrior gave him an icy look.

"_Two minutes._" Getting to his feet, Herobrine turned and walked away to check on the potions.

Cradling his wounded arm to his chest, Steve sat up straight, gazing out the window again to keep his mind off of the pain. He could see his wolves frolicking about, which made him smile. Apples and Cranberry had gotten home safe.

His eyes flickered to the cows, which were plodding about in their enclosure. He had locked them up the previous day before leaving, so Herobrine must have released him. He still couldn't quite comprehend the help he seemed to be getting from him, but he recognized that the demigod had changed significantly since he first knew him.

When he stayed with him briefly, he always seemed off. Even though Steve himself had never met another person like him, 'Brian' gave off a feeling of always hiding something - which, of course, it turned out he was. His emotions seemed stilted, his smiles too wide. Now, he seemed… genuine in his intentions. Whether it be his original threat to torment him, or his insistence now that he was trying to help, his body language was more open. More trustworthy.

Why he'd changed, Steve could only guess. His thoughts drifted to the attempted execution he had witnessed, of Herobrine curled up on the floor with a broken body and a broken spirit before he was rescued by Notch. Undoubtedly that had affected him, but… was that all?

Steve didn't remember his beating perfectly, for which he praised Notch, as what he did remember was plenty enough to fuel a lifetime of nightmares. He did remember, though, Herobrine standing over him with a razor-sharp spear pressed to his throat. He remembered shivering uncontrollably, half frozen and half drowned, just waiting for the demigod to slit his throat and end it, when he stopped. His eyes went wide, and he threw the spear away. He fled.

The next thing he remembered after that was waking up in Joe's home, buried under piles of blankets. He hadn't seen the white-eyed man again until the execution. But he never forgot that he was spared, and never could figure out why. He'd professed to hate him plenty of times that night, after all. So why didn't he do it?

Hesitantly, Steve snuck a glance at Herobrine to found him crafting Glistening Melons at a crafting table. At this point, he couldn't think of a single reason that he would go this far to help him unless he truly cared. Slowly, Steve rolled back over on his stomach, resting his chin on the pillow and watching his savior out of the corner of his eye.

Maybe trusting Herobrine wouldn't be all that bad.


	7. Reliance

Stephanus really was an idiot.

Herobrine slid a slice of enhanced melon into the brewing stand, then stepped back and cast a glance at the miner out of the corner of his eye. His gaze was glued firmly to the window, one hand pressed over the raw wound on his shoulder, and the demigod shook his head in dissatisfaction. Admittedly, he was a human, but that was hardly reason enough to protest against a treatment that could quite possibly save his arm.

A sigh escaping his lips, Herobrine retrieved the sewing kit from on top of the table and examined the needle. The two minutes were drawing to a close. For the first time, however, he noticed that the needle was discolored and slightly rusted. Not the best tool to be using on a human. However, he didn't have time to make a new one, so he summoned a flame between his thumb and index finger and used it to sterilize the instrument. That was as good as it would get for now.

Turning back to Stephanus' bed, found him lying on his stomach again, watching him quietly. Collecting the thread, Herobrine crossed the room towards him and sat beside the bed again.

"_Are you ready now?_" He asked bluntly. Steve nodded, looking away. "_Keep still as much as possible._" He ordered, and the miner gave him another small nod as the demigod placed a hand on his shoulder and guided the threaded needle to the edge of the wound.

The miner did a remarkable job of staying silent as Herobrine stitched up his shoulder, weaving the needle in and out through his flesh. The demigod could see his other hand clenched into a tight fist, fingers occasionally jerking just a bit when the needle passed through his skin, but overall he gave almost no indication he even felt it.

It took nearly five minutes of painstaking work, but finally Herobrine had the wound almost fully sealed, and carefully tied off the thread before cutting it free.

"_Sit up._" He spoke, and Steve obeyed, carefully pushing himself up with his other arm into a sitting position. Grabbing a roll of bandages off of the floor next to him, Herobrine took the miner's forearm began to wind the roll around his injured shoulder, careful not to make them tight enough that they would hinder the wound from healing. After a couple of layers, he cut off the excess and tied them in a snug knot.

"_You will allow me to change these every morning._" He stated, beginning to roll up the remaining bandages again. "_Otherwise you run the risk of your condition worsening._"

"Okay." The miner agreed meekly, then glanced up at meet his working eye. "Thank you."

"_It's-"_ The demigod began, but froze at the look in Stephanus' blue eyes. While he wasn't exactly practiced in reading expressions, and those he was accustomed to were ones of fear, he recognized immediately the look of gratitude and admiration in the miner's eyes. And, for the first time since he'd re-met him, over a month ago now, he couldn't find a single trace of fear on his face.

"_It's nothing._" He finished, tearing his eyes away. "_Stay near the house, understand? Do not try to perform tasks as normal. You'll only injure yourself worse._" With that, he rose to his feet and quickly walked away.

Itching to be away from the miner's gaze, Herobrine busied himself doing menial tasks around his base. He replaced a length of fence, then refilled the pigs' water trough. Unfortunately for him, it was only nearing noon. He had a good while yet that he had to stay and keep an eye on Stephanus and his farm.

* * *

Steve woke up in the middle of the night.

Blinking sleepy eyes open, the miner turned to the clock beside his bed and strained for a moment to read it in the darkness. A few hours left until dawn. Letting his head drop back onto his pillow, Steve made to close his eyes, but light in the corner of his vision caught his attention and he turned. A small, white light shone from the corner of the room, and he stared blankly at it for a few moments before remembering Herobrine's eyes.

"Herobrine?" He called out in a whisper, his brow furrowing as he pushed himself into a sitting position. He wasn't sure how he felt about the demigod watching him sleep. Given his recent actions, it probably wasn't a bad thing that he was being watched over, but… still. However, he was given no response. "Herobrine." He repeated, but, again, there was nothing. If he strained, he could hear quiet breathing. Was he asleep…?

Driven by curiosity, the miner slipped out of bed, ignoring the twinges in his injured shoulder and tiptoeing closer. A ray of moonlight illuminated his twin, sitting on a chest with his chin leaned in his palm. Both his eyes were open, even the blind one, but he didn't so much as flinch as Steve cautiously passed a hand over his face. He must be asleep.

Releasing the tension in his shoulders, Steve took a step back, sinking down to sit on the floor. While sleeping with his eyes open was… fairly creepy, it was slightly better than Herobrine watching him eerily through the night.

He made to stand, but his shoulder twinged again and he paused to prod at the bandages confining his stitches. He couldn't feel any blood on the outside, which was a good sign. Using his other arm, the miner rose to his feet, swaying a bit before catching his balance.

As he turned back to his bed, however, a soft sound from behind him caught his attention.

"..._again._" Steve spun, catching Herobrine's eye again, but he didn't move. He spoke again, but this time it was unintelligible. Talking in his sleep, most likely. Steve dragged a hand over his face. Even while asleep, Herobrine was capable of scaring him half to death.

"_Not again._" Herobrine's voice was louder now. It shook. A pang of worry shot through Steve's chest, and he debated the likelihood of Herobrine attacking him if he should wake him up. He recognized this, he'd had his own share of nightmares in his time. Most about Herobrine. But, now he kinda owed him, so…

Herobrine hissed a series of curse words, and, tentatively, Steve reached out to shake him awake. Carefully, he grasped the demigod's shoulder, but before he could do more a hand locked around his wrist with a vice-like grip.

"_Let go._" Quickly, Steve tugged his hand away, looking up to find Herobrine staring directly at him. His face was blank.

"Sorry," He managed, his voice coming out in a whisper. "You were talking in your sleep. It sounded like you were having a nightmare." Herobrine didn't respond. Jerkily, he looked down at himself, then back up. Then he disappeared.

Instinctively, Steve glanced around, but the demigod was, apparently, gone. His house was nearly pitch-black once more. Slowly, he shuffled back towards his bed, climbing onto the mattress and pulling the blanket up to his shoulders. His sleepiness muddled his thoughts and emotions, he couldn't really process what he had just experienced. Turning his head to the side and settling into the pillow, Steve shut his eyes. He could revisit this in the morning.

* * *

Notch wasn't there.

Herobrine stood outside Notch's cabin, staring in through the windows with a poppy clutched in one hand. This shouldn't have come as a shock to him - he was almost never there. It dashed his hopes regardless.

Teleporting inside, Herobrine sank down on a makeshift chair built from fence and planks. Letting the flower fall to the floor, he buried his face in his hands, breathing in the sweet, clear air of Notch's world. He was alone. He was glad to be alone.

The nightmare hadn't come as a shock, at this point he expected them. That's why it infuriated him all the more that he had allowed the mortal to see him in his weakness. He had stayed the night with the intent of watching over Stephanus, and had been too concerned for the miner's well-being to remember his own.

He had put the new Steve above himself, and the realization sickened him.

He had fled, first to the Nether, then to Notch's world. If nothing else, he enjoyed spending time with his 'brother', and as long as Notch was close he could be sure he was safe.

Herobrine wasn't afraid of Stephanus, that wasn't it. His server was private, he wasn't afraid of being attacked either. He ruled the mobs. He had power beyond nearly any other being in the game. Effectively, he was invincible.

So why did he feel so scared?

Pressing the heel of his hand to his destroyed right eye, Herobrine bowed his head, wrapping his free hand around his midsection. His heart pounded in his chest, and his head felt thick, like it was filled with smoke. His nightmares never affected him like this. This wasn't right. Something wasn't right.

Sliding off the chair, Herobrine sunk to the floor and pressed himself back against the wall. The wood was cool against his back, but not cold, not like stone bricks slick with blood. He closed his eyes firmly, gritting his teeth against the exhaustion threatening to take over. He didn't want to sleep. Not after that. Not now.

Instead, he huddled in a corner, eyes and ears covered to block out his senses.

He wished Notch was here.


	8. Companionship

Herobrine hadn't come back.

Steve sat upright in his bed, anxiously fiddling with the hem of his shirt. Herobrine had given him _strict_ instructions not to attempt to do any of his morning chores, but he couldn't just leave the animals unfed. He glanced at the clock again, then bit his lip, sliding off of the mattress and getting to his feet. He'd probably get yelled at, but the animals came first.

As he reached for the doorknob, however, a knock from the other side of the door startled him. He froze for a moment. Herobrine never knocked. He pulled the door open, and his face broke into a grin at the sight of a familiar face.

"Joe!"

"Good morning!" The villager greeted him with a cheerful smile, raising one hand to wave. "Sorry to show up without warning. I have a favor to ask you."

"Sure, what do you need?" Steve stepped aside, letting Joe pass before closing the door behind him. _Now_ he was glad Herobrine wasn't there.

"I was wonder-" Joe cut himself off as his gaze landed on the miner's bandaged shoulder. "Hey, you okay?"

"Got a bit beat up. It's no big deal." Steve rolled his shoulder, then winced involuntarily, effectively rendering his statement pointless. "What did you need?"

"A couple bars of iron. We don't get another shipment until next month and I need to repair some tools. I'll pay you market price for them." Joe frowned, not looking up from his injury. "You sure you're okay?"

"Tell you what." Steve crossed the room, opening a chest - the one Herobrine had picked for his bed last night, he noted idly - and pulling out two iron ingots. "I'll give you these free of charge if you help me perform my chores. I'm really not- really shouldn't be doing any heavy lifting."

"So I packed all these emeralds for nothing?" Joe complained. "Half price. That's as low as I'm willing to go."

"I almost never even use emeralds! You keep them!" Steve rolled his eyes at the young man, closing the chest and straightening up. "You have a family to support. I'm a lonely hermit who lives out in the wild and talks to himself. Who do you think has a better use for it?"

"Well- oh, fine." Joe scuffed his boot on the floor, shoving his hands in his pockets and slouching in a disappointed fashion. "I suppose I'll just lug all these emeralds _all_ the way back to Oakhaven."

"I think you'll live." The villager caught his eye, and Steve barely suppressed a chuckle at the exaggerated melancholy in them.

"In all seriousness," Joe straightened up, his pout disappearing. "Are you sure you're okay? What exactly happened to you?"

"Got bit by a zombie." Steve responded simply. "Not bad, though, I got it cleaned and bandaged." He carefully omitted any mention of Herobrine. That would be a whole other conversation, and he wasn't sure he was ready to have it yet.

"You sure?" Joe's frown deepened, and Steve waved him off.

"Hey, there's no risk of me turning, remember? At the very worst I could end up with a fever for a few days, nothing more." Heading for the door again, he made his way outside and slipped the ingots into the saddlebags of Joe's horse.

"If you say so." Joe followed him out. "C'mon, you'll have to walk me through it. It's been a long time since the last time I was a farmer."

"Yeah, no kidding."

The morning passed quickly, the pair spending it working and enjoying each other's company. While they finished with the necessary chores by mid-morning, Joe insisted on staying and helping longer in return for the free iron. Steve let him. It wasn't like he could really do much on his own with his injuries, and it was nice to have a companion.

Time ticked on, and before long the sun hung high in the afternoon sky. Joe was chopping down a tree while Steve reclined in the shade nearby, half asleep in the haze of the afternoon heat, and he had almost fully dropped off when a cry caught his attention.

"_Hey!_" His eyes popped open, and the miner pushed himself upright to find Joe brandishing his axe at a familiar figure. "Don't- Don't come any closer, o-or I'll-!"

"Joe!" Steve scrambled to his feet, bracing himself against the tree as Herobrine stared silently at the younger man. "Put the axe down. It's okay."

"It's- what?" Joe didn't budge, and Steve hurried to his side, grabbing the handle of the axe and tugging it from his grip.

"It's okay. He doesn't mean any harm." The miner glanced up at his double, trying to gauge his expression, but there was no emotion on his face. "He helped me. I almost got killed by mobs the other night, but he saved me. It's okay."

"And you didn't feel the need to mention this until now?"

"I was kind of hoping you wouldn't run into each other."

"_Stephanus._" Herobrine's commanding voice made him jump, and his head jerked up to meet his pale eyes. For a moment, neither moved, then Herobrine nodded to the house and disappeared. Steve released a breath, turning back to gauge Joe's reaction, only to be met by wide, frightened eyes.

"It's okay." He tried again, dropping the axe and placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "He's been hanging around here for a while now, and all he's done is help me. He's the one who patched me up, actually." Joe's eyes flickered up to his bandaged shoulder, and his scared expression shifted into one of hurt. "I'm sorry." Steve took the cue. "I am, I swear. I just wanted to spend some time with you without- without _him _hanging over us." He stopped, but Joe didn't respond. "Forgive me?"

"Okay." The villager responded at last. "But, as long as he's here, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

* * *

"_This appears to be healing well._" Herobrine stated, winding up the soiled bandages and setting them on the floor beside him. "_The stitches are holding fast. I should be able to wash this without disturbing your wound too much."_ Steve heard a cork pop from the mouth of a bottle, and gritted his teeth, staring out through the window as he felt cool water pour over his bare shoulder. He could see Joe out of the corner of his eye, watching him silently as Herobrine tended to his wound. The atmosphere in the building was… tense.

"It's getting late." He managed at last, eyes trained on the remains of the sun slipping below the horizon. "You should head home."

"I told you." Joe's voice was firm. "I'm not leaving him alone with you."

"If he wanted to hurt me, don't you think he would have done so already?" Steve tried, but Joe didn't miss a beat.

"Can I take that chance after what happened before?" Steve froze, a shudder going through him as his brain processed what he had heard. He felt a prick of pain in his shoulder, and red flashed over his vision.

"_You are not helping._" A firm hand took him by his uninjured (well, less injured) shoulder, and he jumped, blinking away the red as he looked back at his twin. Herobrine was focused on Joe, who withered under the force of his glare almost instantly and averted his gaze. The demigod glanced back at his patient, raised an eyebrow at his bewildered expression, and focused on his shoulder once more.

Steve let out a shaky breath, turning his gaze back to the window. The moon was beginning to rise, rays of gentle light turning his farm into the landscape he fell asleep to each night.

"It's not safe for you to travel at night," He spoke up, glancing in Joe's direction. "You'll have to spend the night here. There's a couple spare beds in the chest by the door, if you want one."

"Thanks." The villager got to his feet, making his way stiffly to the chest and retrieving one of the items. He placed it by the wall, then sat down on the edge, watching him blankly as Herobrine began to re-wrap his shoulder. For a few minutes, the only sound was the soft rustling of bandages against his shoulder.

"Herobrine?" Steve said at last, softly as not to startle the demigod. "Last night, what-"

"_Don't speak of that_." Herobrine cut him off, and the miner's jaw clicked shut.

"Okay."

Another couple minutes passed, and Herobrine finished bandaging his arm, securing the ends of the bandage before stepping back to examine his work.

"_Get some rest._" He ordered, then disappeared before Steve could respond. The miner found himself letting out a sigh of relief, and glanced over at Joe, whose face echoed the sentiment. He offered the villager a small smile, and it was returned, but neither of them spoke as he pulled a redstone switch beside his bed and plunged the building into darkness.


	9. Struggling

"He's going to come back." There was no doubt in Joe's voice, and his face was serious, but Steve nudged him towards the door anyway.

"Yeah, he is. But it's not like either of us could stop him if we tried." He gently pushed his friend away, towards his horse tied up to the fence outside. "Your family's waiting on you, go home. I'll be fine, I promise."

"You'd better be." The villager threw his arms around his surrogate uncle's neck, careful not to disturb his injured shoulder. Steve gave him a squeeze in return, smiling into Joe's shoulder. He was hesitant to send him away, of course he would miss having his only friend around. But, to keep him from clashing with Herobrine and possibly getting hurt…

"Stay safe." Joe gave him one last squeeze before letting go and heading out the door. Steve watched through the window as he swung himself onto his horse's back, backing the animal up and urging him into a trot before heading down the path and out of sight.

Sighing, Steve turned from the window, making his way back to the bed and glancing out the window. Joe had already helped him let out the animals for the day, so that was one less chore he had to worry about. He found himself hoping Herobrine came back soon, while he still hadn't conquered the uneasiness obtained from his presence, at least he knew in his head that he was safe with him.

He glanced over towards the barn, and blinked in mild surprise at the sight of Herobrine sitting atop his designated pile of hay. To his greater surprise, Apples reclined at his side, tongue lolled out without a care in the world as the demigod rested a hand on her head. Shaking his head, Steve turned away, heading to the furnaces on the other side of the room to retrieve a pair of iron ingots.

They didn't really speak that day, aware of each others' presence but not interacting past eye contact made once or twice. When evening came, Herobrine herded him into the house to change his bandages again, then vanished. By morning, he was back.

The two of them settled into a semi-comfortable routine, Steve performing his chores and Herobrine assisting as needed. Steve still wasn't totally comfortable around him, his heart fluttering with apprehension whenever he appeared, but he was getting better. Maybe one day they could truly coexist in peace.

* * *

"_Where are you going?"_

"The tundra." Steve didn't turn around, packing a woolen coat into his mare's saddlebags. "I need ice for storing my raw meat, and I'm running out."

"_How far is it?"_

"Around a day's ride one way. I'll set up camp outside somewhere and sleep before heading back." Steve placed a stack of potatoes in the saddlebag as well, then fastened the strap. "And… I'd like to ask you a favor." He turned to the man behind him, flinching a bit as he met his bright gaze.

"_Yes?_" Herobrine tilted his head.

"Don't come with me." The demigod blinked.

"_Why not?_"

"I don't have the-" Steve swallowed past the thickness in his throat. "best memories of you. You know that. And they all take place in the tundra, especially by the water." A shudder ran through him involuntarily, and Herobrine glanced up, contemplative.

"_Very well._"

"Thank you." A rush of relief went through him, and he scrambled onto his horse's back before he could change his mind. "I'll be back in a couple of days." He nudged his mare with his heels, and she nickered, moving into a trot as Steve headed east, into the rising sun.

* * *

"Every year." Steve muttered, pulling his boot off and dumping the freezing water out of it. "You've been doing this for like _ten years_ Steve, how come you haven't figured out how to stay dry yet?" Apples yipped at him in response. "Ah, thanks girl. I forgot. I'm an idiot." Sticking his boot back on, the miner scooped up his pickaxe - enchanted with Silk Touch - and set to work on a block of ice again.

The stars were staring to wink into view above him, and he was already longing to head back to the small shelter he had made and go to sleep. Determined to finish his chore, though, he kept digging. He wanted to be able to go home as soon as he got up tomorrow.

The remaining light was beginning to fade, and Steve's uneasiness grew as he stacked block after block of ice in a chest. He always got 25, and that lasted him about a year before he had to get more. He had 21 now. Almost done.

The sound of a skeleton's bow startled him, and he whirled around as an arrow flew past his ear.

He heard barking, and spotted his dogs chasing the offending mob away. Breathing a sigh of relief, Steve eased himself down onto his knees again. He was really getting tired of being shot at. Bracing one hand on the block directly underneath him, the miner reached out to a safe distance and began to work on mining a new block.

The ice underneath him shattered, and he dropped straight into the freezing river.

Steve let out several curse words as he scrambled for the edge, trying to get a grip on the slippery ice while not sinking under the water. This wasn't the first time he had fallen in, but it was just as uncomfortable as the last time. Throwing one leg up onto the ice, he managed to drag himself out, shaking his head to free the water from his hair before crawling towards solid ground.

"Th-that's not the b-best." He managed aloud, teeth chattering. His clothes were soaked and clung to his body, and his coat was now too heavy for him to even stand up. "Notch, that's c-cold. Apples! L-Lapis!" No response. They must have still been chasing the skeleton. He tried to whistle for them, but his face was already growing numb.

"I hate the t-tundra." He muttered, pulling his arms out of his coat and abandoning the garment on the ground. He hesitated, then stripped his shirt off as well before stumbling to his feet. He'd come back for the ice later, right now he needed to get to warmth.

Hugging his arms to his chest, Steve started to make his way toward the torch he had placed to mark the location of his shelter. As he stumbled through the snow, he heard canine footsteps join his, and looked down as Lapis came up beside him. He patted her head, and she licked his hand.

Finally, he made it to his shelter, and crawled in through the single-block opening to the small cave he'd carved out of the snow. A small fire still crackled beneath the chimney he'd built, lit on netherrack to keep it going. Steve placed a block of cobblestone next to the fire, then laid his shirt over it to dry, followed by his pants and boots.

Lapis and Apples followed him in as he settled down on the packed snow in the corner. Obviously it wasn't the warmest bed, but he'd live. Curling up with his wolves, Steve rested his head on the wall behind him and passed out.


	10. Trying

**(updates 4 times in 10 minutes)**

**...I ran out of motivation to write more so im gonna post these, leave reviews plz**

* * *

Steve woke up the next morning half-convinced he was dead.

His body was nearly frozen, the fire had gone out sometime during the night. His clothes were dry, so he got dressed again, but without his coat he was sorely underdressed for the weather. He relit his fire, but it wasn't much help in the cold.

His dogs seemed to know something was wrong. They didn't leave his side for a moment, staying huddled next to him as he shivered. Although he _was_ in the tundra, buried in the snow, he still felt… too cold. He worried he might have caught a fever.

He'd have to wait it out. He had shelter here, and even if a mob managed to get inside his wolves would tear it apart. He had stores of food in his horse's saddlebags, just outside, and could melt snow for water. He'd survived worse on his own before.

The passage of time was almost imperceptible in the tiny cave. He could make out day or night through the tunnel that lead outside, but otherwise had no idea how long he had been lying in his freezing shelter. He realized before long that he had to be falling asleep and wasn't aware of it, once he noticed the amount of light outside switching abruptly from a lot, to none, to back again.

It had almost definitely been two days by now, and he wondered vaguely what Herobrine would think of him going missing. Would he be angry? Come looking for him? While that wouldn't be the most preferable situation, he found himself longing for the demigod to come and save him again. That meant he _definitely _had a fever.

The days ticked by without end until, finally, he had a visitor.

* * *

Herobrine was, quite frankly, offended.

Stephanus' claim to have been going to get ice had been a fairly logical one, which is why he had respected his wishes and not followed him. However, today was the fifth day since he had departed, and the demigod was starting to suspect otherwise. Was this some kind of… escape attempt?

Obviously the mortal had realized that he meant him no harm. His actions for the past couple of weeks had confirmed that. But… he asked him to stay behind, and then disappeared. Herobrine was hesitant to believe it, but it appeared that Stephanus was abandoning his lifestyle in the hopes of getting away from him. How disappointing.

Herobrine walked over the frozen ground of the tundra, snow melting around his feet and leaving a trail of muddy footprints. It was nearing noon now, he had been searching for the miner since about midmorning that day. So far, he had found no sign of him. Any tracks he might have left had been blown over by the wind, and any ice he had actually harvested would have frozen over again. Unfortunately, he was most likely long gone. It would take a fair amount of time to track him down again.

Herobrine's foot hit something hard in the snow, and he stopped.

Glancing down, the demigod nudged the object, the snow melting around his boot to reveal a chest buried in the snow. When he opened it, he found it full of ice blocks. The chest Steve had brought with him…?

Grabbing the chest and standing up, Herobrine looked around, his eyes sweeping the icy plain. Why would he just leave this? Why harvest the ice in the first place if he was trying to escape? On his second pass, something caught his eye and he looked again to see a single torch, planted in a patch of melted snow. And that mound of snow beside it looked oddly suspicious….

Teleporting closer, Herobrine spotted a faint plume of smoke rising from a hole carved in the mound. Some type of makeshift igloo? And if there was still smoke, that suggested that someone was inside…

Herobrine spotted a small hole in the side, just big enough for a person to crawl through, and lowered himself to his knees in the snow. He willed his body to cool down - he'd rather not melt the shelter on top of him and, hopefully, Steve - and crawled through the entrance, noting how much this situation reminded him of the first night he truly 'met' the new Steve.

The inside was dimly lit by the glow of a netherrack fire, and noticeably warmer than the outside air. A soft _woof_ caught his attention, and he looked to the corner to find one of Steve's wolves watching him. A second wolf raised her head as well, and Herobrine spotted a human form underneath the creatures' furry bodies.

"_Stephanus._" He spoke, but the man didn't move. A pang of worry went through him, although he wasn't sure where it came from, and he edged closer in the tiny room, reaching out to touch the arm he saw draped over one of the wolves' bodies. The moment he touched him, he grimaced and pulled away. His skin was freezing cold.

He could see his breath misting in the air, so he was alive. How much longer he would be in that state, though, Herobrine didn't know. Leaning down, he placed a hand on the man's shoulder, then teleported the pair of them back to his farm.

The wolves had come with them, and sprung to their feet as the snow was replaced by grass, backing away from their master's prone body. Steve lay limp in the grass, body shivering almost imperceptibly with his lips and fingers tinged blue. Kneeling beside him, Herobrine gathered the half-frozen mortal into his arms and stood, carrying him into his house and laying him on his bed.

Once he was sufficiently wrapped up in blankets, Herobrine set to work preparing some warm food for him. He had seen him pack supplies, but had no idea if the mortal had been able to actually eat them before being stricken by the cold. So, he cooked a steak in the furnace, then set it on the table before going to check on the miner's state.

Steve looked slightly healthier already, his chest rising and falling with the deep breaths of peaceful sleep. Herobrine touched his forehead, and was pleased to find his skin significantly warmer. Not as warm as a human should be, but better. Removing his hand, Herobrine stepped away, but looked back as a small voice caught his attention.

"...'brine?" The human's eyes were open, blue irises peeking out from under heavy lids. "What'm… I doin' here?"

"_I found you passed out and half dead in the snow."_ Herobrine responded, his tone clipped. "_What happened? It's been days since you were supposed to return."_

"Fell in 'h water." Steve blinked, eyes lazily roaming his surroundings. "Couldn' get back on my own. Too cold." He blinked again, then his eyes widened. "My dogs."

"_I brought them back."_

"My horse?"

"_I don't know where she is."_

"Crap…" Steve shifted, trying to sit up, but Herobrine pinned him down with a hand on his shoulder.

"_Stay in bed. You are still hypothermic."_

"I'm okay." His small voice did little to instill the demigod with confidence, who continued to hold him down until he stopped squirming. Pulling his hand away, Herobrine turned to collect the steak from the table, but was interrupted by a cold hand shooting out and catching his wrist.

"_Let go._" He ordered, turning to shoot the miner a glare. He was met by a rather dazed expression on the mortal's face.

"You're warm."

"_I'm aware. Let go._" He yanked his arm away, and grabbed the plate the steak rested on before turning to the miner's bedside. "_When was the last time you ate?_"

"Don' know."

"_Eat this. It will help you gain strength._" Blinking, Steve's eyes flickered down to the food item being offered to him, then stared for a moment before reaching out and accepting it. Slowly, he started to nibble at it, staring at the sky through the window beside his bed.

Herobrine left again as the mortal ate, tracking down his horse and bringing her back to the farm. The poor beast was malnourished and exhausted, but nothing a stack of wheat wouldn't fix.

He returned to the farmhouse to check on Steve, only to find him fast asleep in his bed again. After checking his vitals - and finding them close to standard - Herobrine spent the rest of the afternoon performing various chores about the farm. By the time night fell, Steve hadn't awoken, so Herobrine settled down against the wall at the foot of his bed and went to sleep.

* * *

Around midnight, Herobrine was dragged out of his slumber by something cold clinging to his left arm.

Blinking tired eyes open, he reached out with his right and shoved it away. A soft yelp came in response, and he turned just in time to see Stephanus press against his side again. A breath escaped him in a low growl.

"_Let go._" He pulled his arm away, but the miner held fast. "_Stephanus, I am not a doll. I will not tolerate this behavior." _No response. "_If you do not release me, I will remove you with FORCE. Move before-"_

"'Brine." A mumbled plea cut him off. "'m sorry. You're warm." Herobrine stopped, hesitating. His speech was slurred and confused, he was likely not in his right mind. He probably wouldn't even remember this by morning. "I'm sorry." Steve murmured again, his eyes closed as he pressed his forehead against the demigod's shoulder. "Sorry."

"_Fine, stay._" Herobrine made an executive decision to ignore him. "_But for Notch's sake be QUIET. I'm trying to sleep._"

"Thank you." There was a certain trust in Steve's voice, something raw and vulnerable. The last time he had seen him in a weakened, confused state, he had been panicked and wary. Now he had total faith in him. Undoubtedly the nature of both situations affected his reaction, but… this was different in other ways.

Herobrine gazed at the far wall, slowly losing hope of getting any more sleep that night. Steve's cold fingers crept up onto his shoulder, and he twitched, but didn't otherwise react. Sooner or later he would fall asleep, and he could return him to his own bed.

As the minutes ticked by, though, Steve's presence became more and more tolerable. Gradually, the mortal's body warmed from the contact with his own, and he settled closer as he drifted back to sleep. Herobrine kept his eyes trained on the wall, but every movement from his twin caused him to shift, an unfamiliar pulse going through him at the physical contact. He didn't like it, but he didn't… _dis_like it either.

Eventually, Steve fell asleep. Fully limp now, it wouldn't be hard for Herobrine to return him to his bed and go back to sleep himself. But… he found himself disliking that concept, now. The concept of leaving him to shiver in his own bed. Not when the nether king had warmth to spare, anyway.

Instead, Herobrine reached out, grabbing the blanket from the bed and settling it around the miner's body before tilting his head back and closing his eyes once more.


	11. An Introduction

Steve woke up to, for the first time in days, comfortable warmth all around him.

The miner didn't open his eyes for a few moments, smothered in warmth and something soft under his head. For about a minute, he dozed, relaxed by the sound of birds singing outside and a heartbeat under his ear.

Wait- a heartbeat?

Steve blinked his eyes open, looking down to see something red draped over him. His blanket, but he wasn't on his bed, he could see the frame off to his right. So where…?

His eyes trailed down towards the thing he was leaning on, and was shocked to see a teal shirt under his head. Immediately, he jerked up, reaching out to grab the bedframe as he overbalanced.

"_You're awake._" The figure looked up, and Steve froze, barely moving as he processed this.

"Wh- why was-"

"_Late last night you woke me up, complaining of being cold._" Herobrine met his eyes, his face as blank as usual. "_You continued to harass me about it until I allowed you to spend the night next to me. Given that I am a being of the nether, you were attracted to my warmth._" Steve felt his face heat up as he turned away, blushing furiously.

"I g-guess I must've been really out of it."

"_Clearly._" Herobrine got to his feet, stretching his arms above his head. "_Stay inside, you're still healing. I'm going to take care of the animals._" With that, he vanished with a soft _pop_.

Still blushing, Steve struggled to his feet via the bedframe and managed to get his aching body back onto the mattress. He didn't remember anything since waking up in bed the previous day, Herobrine standing over him and demanding to know what had happened. His memories were in a muddle, he remembered lying in the snow and little else from the past week. Somehow, most likely thanks to Herobrine, he had made it home.

His eyes strayed to the window, and he spotted his mare, contentedly munching on some hay placed beside where she was tied to a post. She was alright. Breathing a sigh of relief, the miner lowered himself down onto the pillow, resting his aching head. He was feeling a lot better temperature-wise, his body seemed to be back to normal in that regard, but he was weak and ached with every movement. Not a fun state to be in.

His thoughts strayed once more to the position he had woken up in, and flushed with embarrassment once more. At least Herobrine didn't seem to really care. He'd probably chalked it up to 'weird mortal stuff' and paid it no heed.

It had been over 2 months now since Herobrine appeared, and Steve was still very confused as to why he acted like he did. Even though he started out unfriendly, he had never hurt him, and had even gone as far as to save his life at least twice now. But _why_, the miner still didn't understand. Why seek him out in the first place? Why help him? Why treat him so kindly? He didn't know the demigod was capable of such acts.

In his current state, he was incredibly vulnerable, but even at his strongest he didn't doubt that Herobrine could kill him with practiced ease. At the execution he had heard plenty of talk of Herobrine's crimes, including tormenting players for years on end, so he'd undoubtedly killed hundreds before. Why was he any different? What had changed him so much?

Steve had a lot of questions, but for now he didn't have the courage to ask them. He had touched on them before, but Herobrine had brushed him off, not giving him a straight answer. He didn't know if he would ever get the answers he sought, but he had a hunch that his best bet was to gain the demigod's trust. How he was supposed to go about that, he had no idea, but…

Maybe… treating him with kindness would be a start.

* * *

A boy walked down the street. His hood was up, his head down. Hands shoved in his pockets. He wasn't happy.

One would think he'd be thrilled, given that this was his first day out of jail. He still had some community service to perform, but at least he was out. At least he had some autonomy over his life again.

Caden wasn't happy. He was burning with rage.

Revenge had hardly left his mind after he had been arrested for his little stunt a couple months back, of hacking an _oddly well guarded_ Minecraft account and imprisoning the violent AI he had discovered in the game. If not for the intrusion of the owner of said account, he would have eliminated the being and become practically an internet celebrity.

Instead, he had been humiliated, then tracked down and _arrested_ for the service he had attempt to do for the good of Minecraft. He had spent two months in prison (""""juvinile detention"""") in what was probably an attempt to deter him from doing it again, but it had done nothing but encourage his hunger for revenge. Revenge against Persson, against Mojang, against the _thing. _'Herobrine'.

His life was practically ruined already - the crime on his record greatly diminished his chances of getting into a good university, half of his friends thought he was a legend and the other half refused to speak with him, and his hacker group had practically disappeared. Caden didn't even know if they had disbanded, or had just excluded him and refused to let him back in.

Regardless, he wasn't backing down. Imprisoning him had done nothing but bolster his resolve to screw up Persson's perfect game. He still had access to his computer, while his files and work had been taken away but they could never take away his years of experience.

Caden had a new plan this time. He was finished with grandiose schemes, of relying on charisma and deception to get what he wanted. He was taking the direct route this time - taking the creature out himself, quickly and quietly. No more flashy shows. He would take what he wanted, and it would be soon.

Now that he was free, nothing was standing in his way.

* * *

**dont even ask what this kid's deal is. he's just weird.**

**~FFF**


	12. Trauma

**its time for RANDOM UPDATES featuring ANGST and also FLUFF because im a SAP**

**review replies:**

**GiggiEba: they're like, literal actual related brothers, so if it was romance that would be hm. questionable. caden is just A Fricker  
**

**DancingClown: BRO thank you so much :'DD people's reviews are what keep me going so thank you very much!**

* * *

"Behind you." Steve murmured, passing behind his twin as he carried a handful of dough to the furnaces to rise. Herobrine grunted his acknowledgement, focused on the iron in the furnace in front of him. Steve had a fairly large backlog of ore waiting to be smelted, so Herobrine had assigned himself the chore. The miner was still slightly weakened, after all, from the mess in the tundra. Herobrine had decided he could use the help.

Two weeks had passed since Steve had first left to collect ice, one since he got back on his feet. He still suffered the aftereffects of hypothermia, but he was doing his best to go about life as normal. Although, he didn't complain as much as he used to when Herobrine offered his help.

They seemed to get along better now, Steve feared his presence less and less every day. Herobrine spent most of his time on the farm, and while they didn't speak much, they became comfortable in one another's space. Over the past weeks they've spent together, they've learned, to an extent, how the other thinks. Learned to communicate without words.

Almost like brothers.

"Ah, creepers." The coppery scent of blood filled the air, and Herobrine lifted his head to see Steve pressing his thumb over a small cut on his palm.

"_Not again._" Herobrine teleported beside him, pretending not to notice the mortal's jump at the sudden movement. "_Are you always this clumsy, or is it the cold?"_

"Always." Steve let out a small, stunted laugh. "I've cut myself hundreds of times, probably thousands." Lifting his thumb, he turned both hands over to draw attention to the many, tiny scars littering his skin. "They're all over me. I've hurt myself a million different ways, and apparently I never learn. Mining, fishing, I've hurt myself _gardening._" Herobrine smirked, taking his hand in his to get a closer look at the scars. Steve had done a decent amount of damage to himself in the 10 years he had been gone.

"And the ones on my hands are just the surface, I've been hit by mobs more times than I can count." Steve lifted one hand, tracing a scar on his lip. "Not to mention scars from falls, scars from-" Abruptly, his jaw snapped shut. Herobrine glanced up, only for Steve to pull his hand away and retreat.

"_What are-_" The nether king cut himself off, going silent as the miner pressed a hand to his side. He had been wounded there, once. Herobrine had aggravated it when he nearly killed the miner, kicking him in the side over and over to drive the arrowhead farther into his body. Of course, he had to have many scars painted by his ruthless hand. Now that he looked, he could see them, from rough scars of being hurled against tree bark on his upper arms to a small, fine line just over his throat.

He hadn't meant to remind him of that night, but there was little he could do about it now. Turning, Herobrine started towards the furnaces, intending to go back to his work.

"I'm not the only one, though." Steve's voice is soft, barely over a whisper. Herobrine turns halfway, raising an eyebrow, to find him facing him once more. One hand is pressed firmly against his scarred side, but the other is clutched in a fist at his side as he looked him in the eye with unwavering resolve. "I… know you have your share too." He gives a small nod in the direction of his blank eye.

A growl escaping him, he jerked away, a hand flying to the site of his scarred eye as he faced the opposite wall.

"Brine?" Steve's voice raised, worried. "I'm sor-"

"_Do not speak of that._" Herobrine cut him off with a firm order.

"It won't help to just ignore them, I know that. If you-"

"_Stop._" Steve fell silent. A moment later, though, Herobrine heard footsteps approaching, and tensed. "_Don't touch me_."

"I won't." Slowly, the miner moved into his field of vision, stepping around him until he was in full view. "I…" He began, hesitant. "...put my trust in you. I don't think you mean to hurt me." He didn't say 'again', but the word hung heavy in the air regardless. "But... I need… I need you to trust me too." His voice was halting and nervous, but determined regardless. "If only because I owe you for helping me."

Herobrine watched him through narrowed eyes, slowly becoming aware of his heart pounding in his chest. Every instinct he had was screaming to get away from him, to punish the miner for such a ludicrous suggestion.

But… he didn't… want to. He didn't want to break the little trust they had between them.

"_I do not think I am capable of trust._" He responded instead, his voice clipped. Steve's shoulders slumped.

"I… okay." Slowly, he sunk to the floor, sitting down cross-legged in front of him. "I'm going to try, though."

"_Try?_" Herobrine echoed. "_It's not up to you whether or not I trust you._"

"That doesn't mean I can't affect it." Steve met his eyes, placing his hands in full view where he could see them. "I know you… want to trust me." He continued. "I know you don't want to feel… like this. Hurt. Angry."

"_You don't know anything about me._" Herobrine shot back, a warning tone in his voice. "_I am here because you needed my assistance. I did not come here to be helped, much less be 'friends'._"

"I know you didn't." Steve amended quickly. "But you seem like- like you don't dislike it. Being here." Herobrine frowned.

"_Perhaps not, but that is more due to the fact that sitting in the Nether for months on end is incredibly boring_."

"Right." A small smile broke out on his face. "But-"

"_Enough."_ Herobrine snapped. "_I don't want to talk about this._"

"If-"

"_Stephanus!_" It took his shout to silence him, the miner finally shutting up. "_Stop._" He finished, quiet.

Steve stopped.

They didn't talk for a while.

* * *

Steve woke up to the smell of smoke.

He was out of bed before he was even really awake, stumbling upright and grabbing the bedframe for support as his tired eyes roamed the room. Smoke hung heavy in the air above him, and he ducked down to avoid it as he clapped a hand over his mouth. Sucking in the air filtered through his fingers, he looked around once more for the source of the flames.

He found it. Herobrine.

The demigod stared at him silently through the smoke, sitting against the wall with eyes half open. The floor around him was burning, flames making their way outwards from their source. Herobrine didn't move. Why didn't he move-?!

Steve felt tears on his face, his heart thudding in his ears as he pushed himself upright again. Why, why _why_ was this happening again?! What did he do? Had he really upset Herobrine this much? He wanted to scream and beg and apologize, just please not again not again-

It wasn't until he saw his lips move with a voiceless whisper that he realized that Herobrine was asleep.

Pressing his hand over his mouth, Steve squeezed his eyes shut, drawing in a shuddering breath as he tried to regain his composure. He'd done this in his sleep, he had to have. It didn't make any sense otherwise. None of this made sense, but he had to wake him up. He could stop this.

Stumbling towards him through the smoke, Steve halted at the edge of the flames travelling outwards. Water. He needed water. It was too far to the river, by the time he got back the flames would have spread too far. Could he get through them-?

"Herobrine!" He tried to shout, but his voice came out in a pathetic cry. Herobrine didn't stir. "Herobrine, wake _up!_" Nothing. Suppressing a panicked sob, Steve pressed his sleeve over his face and charged through the flames.

The wooden floor cracked underneath him, and he let out a cry as he lost his footing and fell into the fire.

He hit something soft, and immediately hands were on his arms, dragging him upright.

"_What is going on?_" Herobrine's loud, angry voice sounded in his head, but all he could do was tremble and clutch at his arms.

"You- s-set-" A _hiss_ cut him off, the sound of the flames going out. Herobrine hadn't moved, still a firm foundation for him to lean on, but he pushed away as his mind began to register the sting of the burns on his exposed limbs.

"_Come._" Firm hands grasped his wrists, and he stumbled as he felt the ground shift beneath him. He felt Herobrine pressing him down, and sunk to the floor, numb.

Holding in each breath as long as possible to avoid the smoke, Steve looked up, staring at Herobrine through watery eyes. His face was blank, his working eye examining the miner's form as he held his wrists in his firm grasp. His heart was still pounding at his ribcage, but this time as much in relief as in fear.

"_Steve._" He met his eyes. "_What happened?_"

"I w-woke up to the fire." He tugged at his wrist, and Herobrine released him. "I think it- it came from you."

"_I… was not aware I was at risk of doing such a thing._" The demigod's blank eyes narrowed a bit, but he nodded. "_You are likely correct. Are you badly hurt?"_

"No, no." Steve shook his head, glancing down at himself. His clothes were slightly singed, and his feet were scorched where he had run through the flames in his bare feet, but that was the extent of the damage. "Just a bit freaked out."

"_Understandable._" Herobrine hesitated, then slipped a hand under his arms and around his back, lifting him upright. Steve stumbled, surprised by the gesture, but didn't fight as he was lowered onto the side of his bed. "_Get some rest. Obviously I should sleep elsewhere._" Letting go, he stepped away.

"W-wait." Steve said hastily. "Can you- open the door and windows? The smoke-"

"_Of course_." Turning away, Herobrine made his way around the small building, opening each of the windows in turn before getting to the door. For a fleeting moment, Steve wondered if he'd be safe, if there was a chance of mobs getting in like this, but then he remembered that Herobrine would keep them away. As long as he was here, he'd be safe - while he was conscious, that is.

Realizing he'd zoned out, Steve glanced up to find himself alone in the building. He let out a breath, then leaned back onto shaking hands, lowering himself down again onto his pillow. He was tired, of course, lots of physical activity every day assured that. But… with the scare he'd had, he doubted he would be asleep for a few hours yet.

He was right.


	13. Trying a bit Harder

He had lost to the players.

_A muffled groan escaped his lips and he shuddered, then got to his knees and tried to drag himself over to one of the walls. Thin beams of light flowed through the single window in his cell, patterns of shadows dancing on the bedrock floor. He only made it a couple of blocks before collapsing onto his stomach again, breathing heavily as he dropped his head to the rough floor._

_A shaky hand lifted to his left eye - or, where it used to be. Now the empty socket was glued together with dried blood, his head pounding against the cool stone._

_He'd lost everything._

_His army, his powers, his reputation, and his respect._

_Perhaps worst of all, he had lost an eye to the lowest mob in the entire game._

_How befitting for a tyrant._

_[The next game will start in 3 minutes.]_

_The players couldn't see how he had been wounded, due to how he was rendered to those outside the game. They had no idea they had broken his arm when they pushed him off the bridge. Couldn't see the gash they had left in his neck. Didn't understand that physical wellness had nothing to do with health- that was merely stamina. Wounds were something else. His head pounded, primarily from his empty eye socket, claw marks marring the skin around it. It was possible that infection was setting in._

_[The next game will start in one minute.]_

_He didn't know if he could keep this up much longer. The players never tired of this, playing this 'game' against a 'realistic Herobrine'. People logged off, and people logged in. It's a never ending nightmare._

_[The next game will start in 30 seconds.]_

_how long… _

_...have I been in here?_

_let me out…._

* * *

"Herobrine." Fingertips brushed his shoulder, and his arm jerked up, grabbing the hand and yanking its' owner down beside him. He heard a startled yelp as he opened his eyes, meeting Steve's blue ones barely a foot away.

Immediately, he released him, and the miner sat down hard. Rubbing his working eye, Herobrine looked up at him, then glanced around at his surroundings. It seemed to be midmorning.

"You slept in." Steve told him quietly. "And I saw you were… dreaming again."

"_Hmm._" Absently, he pressed a hand to his blind eye.

"Do you… want to talk-"

"_I would rather not._" Herobrine cut him off quickly. "_I need to repair your house."_ Rocking to his feet, the demigod braced himself on the tree he had fallen asleep against and set off towards the building.

Steve didn't come after him, opting to perform his morning chores instead while his companion replaced the burned flooring in his house. His mind was only half on the task, which, luckily, was enough. The other half focused on the events of the previous night.

The dreams were nothing new, he had been having them since he escaped back to his secluded world. He had never had that issue before, though - at least not as far as he knew. In the nether, it really didn't matter.

He knew Stephanus dealt poorly with fire, and would rather not kill him regardless, so he had to come up with some solution. The simplest would be just to find another place to sleep, but he preferred not to leave the miner alone. He was mortal, after all. Vulnerable. Even with his orders to leave him be, one or two mobs could slip through and attack him.

Maybe… Notch could help rid him of his nightmares.

Shaking his head, Herobrine pushed the thoughts away. He could not rely on Notch, not when he really had no certain way to contact him. And, even if he did, his brother was unable to fix his broken and marred body. Why would his broken mind be any different?

* * *

Of course Notch had changed his password.

Sighing, Caden leaned back from his screen, clasping his hands behind his head. It wasn't that he hadn't expected this, of course that would've been the first step he took. Too bad, though. Would've made his job a lot easier.

His computer had been stripped of information, basically everything was gone - but they couldn't take his expertise. He had already tried to contact his old group, but they had refused to respond. Apparently they wanted nothing to do with him now that he'd screwed up.

He'd show them.

Herobrine. He was smart. Unless he had been controlled by someone at Mojang, which he had seen no sign of, he was a sentient being. A fully automated, intelligent AI was still almost unheard of in the world of technology, but yet here he was. If, somehow, he could be captured, Caden could think of many a business man - dark web or otherwise - who would jump at the chance to examine the technological marvel.

He wasn't quit sure yet how, but he would hunt him down and take him prisoner once more. He would take his revenge on Herobrine, on Notch, and on the group that had left him behind in one fell swoop.

* * *

When Herobrine returned, something was different.

He had retreated to the Nether for a little while, just to surround himself with the familiar for a moment. He had come across a few mobs, and they seemed thrilled that he had returned. Why, he wasn't sure, he had never been the kindest to his mobs and had really done nothing to warrant their loyalty. Undoubtedly Notch's doing, he was the one who had given him the mobs as his servants in the first place. He made a note, though, to go back every now and again. Just to assure them that he was still there.

He wasn't entirely sure what had changed, at least not at first. Stephanus was performing some mundane chores outside, repairing a few fences by the looks of it. Herobrine disappeared into the house, intending to finish smelting the built-up stacks of ore - which was when he discovered a few squares of carpet covering the flooring he had just replaced.

Curious, he prodded at the soft wool with his foot, and felt something cool and solid underneath it. Stone?

"Hey, you're back." Steve's voice startled him, and he spun to see the miner in the doorway. "I, um… switched out the wood for stone." He gestured to the carpeted area. "So it's safe for you to sleep in the house. I added carpet, too - if you insist on sleeping on the floor, the least I can do is make it a bit more comfortable."

Herobrine blinked blankly at him. Steve had… modified his house for him? Why go to the trouble? If anything, he should think the miner would be glad to send him farther away - especially after the scare he had given him last night.

Steve shifted worriedly, and Herobrine realized he hadn't responded. Breaking his gaze, he turned and headed for the door.

As he passed him, though, the demigod reached out and touched Steve's shoulder in what he hoped was a friendly gesture.

"_Thank you._" He murmured under his breath. Quickly pulling his hand away, he disappeared through the front door.

He found himself back on his stack of hay bales, basking in the sun with Sandy the cat on his lap as he tried to sort out his thoughts. He didn't _understand. _As he had stated the previous day, Steve _did_ owe him a debt for his help-

\- unless one took into account how many times he had tried to kill him. That might cancel it out.

Regardless, the miner thought he did, but Herobrine didn't see why he had gone to the trouble of trying to make him comfortable. It wasn't as if it eased his supposed debt, did it? And it was clear he was still wary around him, why would he encourage his close proximity to him?

Could it be that he genuinely cared about his well-being?

Herobrine shook his head furiously. That made no _sense._ What had he ever done to earn his… affection? He had been nothing but cold to him, keeping his distance for his own safety. He had been selfish, helping when it was convenient to him. What had prompted this display of selflessness?

His head hurt. Herobrine let the matter go for the moment, resting a hand on Sandy's back as he tilted his chin back to look at the sky. Regardless of the reason for it, he was hardly complaining. While confusing, Steve's actions… felt good. It had been so long since someone was genuinely _kind_ to him.

He didn't dare hope that such treatment would continue, but at least he could enjoy it for as long as it lasted.

* * *

**herobrine: experiences one (1) kindness  
herobrine:  
herobrine:  
****herobrine: what the FU**

**~FFF**


	14. Notch

**(doesnt do anything for a month) (posts three consecutive updates)**

* * *

"Is Notch still out there?" Herobrine blinked, looking up at the unexpected question. Across the small grove of trees they were chopping down, Steve was leaning on his axe handle as he waited for a response.

"_Where did this come from?_"

"I've wondered for a while." Steve didn't change his posture, watching him with curious eyes. "I know he… put me here, and you as well. Does he still exist?" Herobrine pondered this for a moment. Did he truly not know? Had Notch never even visited him since the time he was created?

"_He does."_ He answered at last. "_I visit him sometimes. Or, try, anyway. He's rarely there._"

"Where's 'there'?"

"_His server._" Steve's blue eyes were bright as he eagerly awaited more details, and Herobrine felt a pang of pity. He had been left alone here, with no one but himself for company. And Herobrine, of course. No wonder he was so attached to all his animals. Perhaps that factored into his unexplained kindness? He was lonely? "_He spends most of his time working. He only rarely comes to his server to begin with, and I don't visit that often, so we rarely cross paths."_

"Could you take me there?" Herobrine didn't even stop to think about it.

"_No._"

"Why not?" This time, Herobrine paused, carefully rehearsing his next words. A second thought slipped into his mind unbidden - _I don't want him to know what I've done to you _\- but he pushed it away, choosing instead a carefully constructed lie.

"_His power would overwhelm you." _Gripping the handle of his axe, Herobrine focused once more on the tree he had been engaged with chopping down. "_While you may share my general appearance, inherently we are nothing alike. His very presence would likely stun you beyond consciousness._"

"Oh." Steve's voice was disappointed. "Are you… sure?"

"_Do you recall when you experienced the full might of my power?" _Herobrine didn't look at him. "_You were in shock. Frozen. Notch is ten times more powerful than me._" Steve didn't speak for a few, long moments.

"...okay." They worked in silence for the next few minutes, the only sounds being iron against wood. Steve was uncharacteristically quiet, and Herobrine found himself wondering what exactly was going on in his head. It had been a rash move to bring up such a sensitive event, but… he really didn't have another choice.

"If I can't see him," The miner spoke at last. "Could you deliver a message for me?" Wordlessly, Herobrine glanced up to meet his eyes. "Could you tell him that it's kinda lonely down here in his world? I've been here for… somewhere around ten years now. My only friends have been the villagers, and y-" He cut himself off, then resumed.

"I know he has to be busy. He has to take care of the entire world, along with things outside it. But… while the world he made us is beautiful, it's… quiet." His eyes dropped to the ground. "Empty." Herobrine didn't respond. For a couple moments, the world was silent, broken only by the wind moving through the trees.

"_I'll tell him._" He responded at last. "_When I see him again."_

He didn't know whether or not he was lying.

* * *

_[Herobrine]: you won't win_

_[Herobrine]: you can't keep me here forever_

_[Notch]: I think you'll find that I can._

_Blood, there's… blood, everywhere. He can taste it, he can smell it._

_[Herobrine]: you can't_

_[Herobrine]: even if you never let me free_

_[Herobrine]: i will die eventually of my wounds_

_His head… numb. He can't feel his jaw, it's… half his face is gone. nothing but a bloody, gaping wound remains._

_[Notch]: Do you really think I would allow you to die before I am finished with you?_

_[Notch]: I created you. I own you._

_[Notch]: You can not live, nor can you die, without my approval._

_Herobrine bends over, lungs straining for breath that will never come through his destroyed windpipe. a deep wound stretches across his midsection, blood seeping through the remains of his shirt and onto the bedrock floor._

_[Herobrine]: thats not true_

_[Herobrine]: you cant keep me alivelike this_

_[Notch]: You doubt your creator?_

_Tears slip from his darkened eyes, mixing with the blood flowing from the slices in his skull._

_[Herobrine]: dont leavemehere_

_[Herobrine]: dont leave me like this_

_The door closes._

* * *

Herobrine woke up to the feeling of warmth against his skin.

Shoving himself up, he was aware of the fire around him before he even opened his eyes. It seemed to be contained, though. While the carpet Steve had given him was long gone, the remains of fire around him had nothing to spread to, and as such stayed where it had been lit.

Leaning back against the wall, Herobrine allowed himself to rest his eyes for a moment. He wasn't sleeping tonight, not anymore - he knew that for sure. Perhaps he would go back to the Nether until morning, maybe the familiarity of his home would stave the nightmares away.

He cast a glance towards Steve's bed, upon which the miner was curled up in a comfortable ball. At least he hadn't awoken to find Herobrine caught in the throes of a nightmare… again.

...though if he had, maybe he would have been able to cut his suffering short.

Before he knew it, he found himself walking towards the miner's bedside. He didn't know why, but he didn't fight it. It was a lonely world, maybe he just wanted some company from another lost soul.

Herobrine settled down on the floor at the end of the bed, leaning his head back against the wall and staring up at the textured ceiling. Beds were flammable, but he wasn't going to sleep, so there was no risk of him setting it aflame by mistake. Steve would be safe.

His eyelids began to grow heavy, so he shifted his gaze to the moon, glowing through the far window. Night was drawing to a close, soon the sun would rise and he could get up for the day. Help Steve with the chores, maybe even talk him into mining. He liked it, somehow it… reminded him of when he was the same. A long, long time ago…

He didn't notice when his eyes fluttered shut for a final time, and he dropped into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

**there's a reason I rate my stuff T **

**~FFF**

**p.s. PLEASE tell me to do my homework**


	15. -----

A low tone startled Caden out of his half-asleep daze.

Rubbing at his red, dry eyes, he pushed himself up with his free hand to examine the message that had appeared on the screen. It took him a few passes just to read it, his overworked brain too exhausted to even comprehend the words for a good ten seconds before he understood.

[TARGET LOCATED]

Immediately, the teen shifted upright, blinking away the sleep in his eyes as he clicked back to his homemade spyware. A sprawling array of numbers was presented in the center of the window, and he scrambled to copy them down before they slipped away once more.

Once they were scribbled on the pad of notepaper set beside his keyboard, Caden let his shoulders slump, leaning back and rolling one shoulder in an attempt to work the cricks out of his neck. A grin split his face, and his eyes fell shut as he tilted his head back to face the ceiling. His prey was in his sights, trapped like a rat in the world he thought would be his safe haven.

It wouldn't be long, now.


	16. Taken

"Herobrine!" The demigod raised his head, turning to shoot the mortal an irritable look, only to instead snatch a hoe out of the air as it flew towards him. "Think fast!"

"_Aren't you supposed to warn me _before _you throw things at my head?_" The Nether King grumbled, but Steve just grinned and continued digging away at his new water channel. Rolling his eyes, Herobrine set aside his bucket of water and began to till the freshly-cleared ground.

Steve was _finally _planting his own melon garden, so he wouldn't have to take any more dangerous excursions into the jungle. He had expressed a hesitance to do so since he had never cared for the plants before, but Herobrine had assured him that it was no different than growing pumpkins. So, here he was.

Herobrine paused to smile at one of Steve's dogs, who was sprawled on the ground beside the designated gardening area. The mortal's pets had become some of the very few recipients of his affection over the past months. Despite their limited AIs, they were unendingly loyal, and friendly to a fault. Herobrine found such qualities almost endearing.

He had seen neither hide nor hair of Notch, though. He must be busy, as he so often was.

A shadow passed over him, and he looked up to see a wispy cloud drifting between him and the sun. It was a beautiful day, not too hot nor too cold. A good day to spend doing menial work outdoors.

The cloud melted away, leaving the sunlight to shine unrestricted upon his face. Herobrine tilted his chin up as he closed his eyes, enjoying the simple warmth.

He was happy.

"Don't spend _all_ afternoon daydreaming." A call from Steve ripped him from his thoughts, and he shot a glare at the mortal.

"_Perhaps you should focus on your own duties._"

"Last time I checked, bothering you _is_ my duty." His glare was met with a cocky smile. "So, poor choice of words." Rolling his eyes, Herobrine returned his focus to the dirt he was preparing for planting. While he may be annoying, the miner's carefree attitude around him was more than he had ever hoped from him. He was not willing to do anything that might damage their fragile arrangement.

Jabbing at the ground with the hoe once more, he cast a glance at Steve, who was carefully settling a single melon seed into each block of tilled soil. A sense of contentment welled up in him, and he smiled before turning back to his own work.

Everything was alright.

And then, suddenly, everything went very, very wrong.

[sk20111 has joined the game]

Herobrine's body went stiff, his working eye scanning his surroundings for any sign of the intruder. This wasn't possible. Notch had- he wouldn't let this happen, not again. Not again.

"Brine?" Steve's worried voice rang out through the pounding in his ears, and Herobrine glanced at him for a moment to see his face twisted with concern. "What was that? What-"

"_Return to your house._" Herobrine cut him off with a barked order. "_Now._"

"Tell me what's going-"

"_I said _now_, Stephanus!" _Dropping his tool to the ground, he summoned a diamond sword in his hand, spinning around even as the miner made a hasty retreat. He hadn't meant for the abrupt appearance of his weapon to scare him off, but, if it got him out of danger, so be it.

Stephanus was out of sight by the time he turned back around, and Herobrine stepped in a slow circle as he searched the area around him. The username wasn't familiar - and he remembered every single one that he had ever come across. Who was this stranger?

His body stopped responding.

His first intent was to cry out, to shout a warning to the miner, but the paralysis was far stronger than his will. Against his wishes, his fingers uncurled from the hilt of his sword, letting the weapon slip from his grip and fall with a _thump_ into the grass below. His form was frozen. He couldn't speak. Couldn't blink. Couldn't breathe.

A message appeared in the chatbox.

[sk20111 - Herobrine] Hello again, Monster.

* * *

He'd run.

Why had he run?

Steve stood in the center of his house, doubled over with his hands on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath. Herobrine had been yelling, ordering him to do _something_, but the moment the sword had appeared he'd bolted. He wasn't afraid of him anymore, he _really_ wasn't. He'd moved without thinking. He didn't want to be afraid of him.

Someone was- someone was in the server. He had to go back and check on Herobrine.

Stumbling upright, the miner rushed to a chest, grabbing a breastplate and helmet as well as a sword - and, as an afterthought, a couple healing potions. Slipping the armor on, he slid the sword into its' sheath and headed out the door. The field he had been planting in wasn't far, but it was a great enough distance that Herobrine could be in danger and he wouldn't know it. He _did_ know that Herobrine _hated players, _and if there was one here then something was _really wrong_-

The ground disappeared beneath him.

Letting out a startled yell, the miner skidded to a halt, throwing his arms out to the sides as the world went black. Blinking, Steve looked down at himself. There was nothing beneath his feet, only blackness, but he could see his own body as clear as day. Where was the light coming from…?

It took him a few moments longer to realize that all his equipment was gone.

Tearing his eyes from the emptiness beneath him, he broke into a sprint, focusing on the path he knew he had taken before. He refused to look at his feet, he knew it would only disorient him. He had to find Herobr-

He found him.

His twin knelt frozen on the ground in the black expanse, both hands raised in a defensive position against a humanoid figure that stood before him. It was only a silhouette, if that, the faintest outline of a human shrouded in a soft, red light. The figure was moving, pacing back and forth before him as it appeared to examine Herobrine's stiff form. What was he trying to do? Herobrine wasn't moving, or speaking, or _breathing, _but his face was twisted with pain.

The miner's boots felt like lead, weighing him down and holding him in place. Whatever that thing was, it wasn't a player - but, to do that to Herobrine, it had to be _worse. _What could he _possibly _do to stop this thing-?!

Grasping a fistful of his hair, Steve cast one last glance at where his house used to be before letting his arms drop. Breaking into a run once more, Steve charged at the figure, screaming out,

"_STOP!"_

* * *

"_STOP!_" A loud, and very human, voice echoed through Caden's headphones. The teen jerked back, hand flying to the volume control to turn it down. Who-?! "Stop it! Can't you see you're hurting him?!" Grabbing his mouse, Caden shifted his perspective in the direction of the voice to see- a default Steve skin.

The name "Stephanus" hung in the air over him, and he was sprinting towards Herobrine's frozen form. Was that a player? How did he get in the server? For that matter, why was he on Herobrine's side?

"You can't do this." The same voice sounded. The skin ran to Herobrine, placing itself between him and Caden's avatar with arms outstretched. It shouldn't be able to move like that. Was it another AI? Like Herobrine? Already moving, Caden clicked over to another window, getting a lock on the entity and running a scan. It was. Its' signature was fairly similar to Herobrine's, and Caden set to work trapping it as well. Double the AIs meant double the reward, didn't it?

As his program ran, he clicked over and sent a single message in the chat.

[sk20111]: Who are you?

"Oh thank Notch, you can hear me." A rush of relief was evident in his voice, and Caden leaned closer, curious. "I-I'm Steve. Please, don't hurt him, he hasn't done anything wrong."

[sk20111]: Do you really think that?

[Herobrine]: stop this

[Herobrine]: stop thisstop this

Two messages from his prisoner appeared in the chat, and Caden quirked a brow. Even rendered completely immobile, he was still aware and alive.

"It's okay, look at me." The voice- 'Steve' - lowered to a whisper, and Caden wrinkled his nose at the obvious compassion in his voice. They must be a set.

[Herobrine]: pleasestop

"Let him go!" Steve's voice raised again as he grabbed onto Herobrine's wrist, trying to pull him from his invisible prison. "You can't- what do you want with him?"

[sk20111]: There are dozens of individuals in this world who would be interested in a fully intelligent AI.

[sk20111]: Which I can provide, for the right price.

"You're going to _sell him?!_" A horrified tone accompanied those words. "You can't do that. He's not yours to give away!"

[sk20111]: He is now.

"No, he isn't!" The program finished. "If-!" Abruptly, the voice stopped. Steve's form froze as well, inches away from Herobrine on the ground. For a moment, all was silent.

Then a click came from the chat.

[Herobrine]: Let him go.

[Herobrine]: He is worthless to you, as simple as an ordinary mob. Release him.

[sk20111]: And why should I listen to you? You're obviously close.

[Herobrine]: "Close"?

[Herobrine]: He's nothing more to me than any of you.

[Herobrine]: The players.

[Herobrine]: You who interact with the game on a whim, destroy and pillage what you may before moving onto the next.

[Herobrine]: A pack of cowards unable to face the consequences of your actions.

Caden's lip curled back in a sneer. Just like Herobrine to taunt him when he was already long beaten.

[sk20111] That'll be up to me.

The teen minimized the window, ignoring any further communication attempts from his prisoners. Instead, he dragged Herobrine's file from the tool he had used to trap him into another, smaller world. His prison.

Stephanus, however, he shut down and dragged onto his desktop. It _had_ been exceptionally odd behavior for it to come to Herobrine's aid - maybe he had been telling the truth. Obviously he'd need to test it further, a project for another time.

With his prisoners safely packed away, Caden opened the server's dashboard and moused over the "shut down" command.

Then he paused.

Clicked on another command.

_Are you sure you want to delete the server? This action is permanent and cannot be undone._

_ Yes_

_No_

_Removing files..._


	17. Heartless

"Let me out of here!" Steve screamed, hands clenched into fists at his sides as he glared up into the black abyss. "I know you can hear me! You can't just leave me here!" Nothing. Legs going slack, the miner let himself sink to his knees, narrowed eyes focused on the nothingness beneath him. He had to get out.

He had woken up a few minutes ago, sprawled unceremoniously on the ground (of sorts) in this empty dimension. The last thing he remembered was Herobrine and their captor having some sort of fight in the chat - one he couldn't figure out how to add to - before his memories abruptly cut out. The player must've knocked him out somehow.

Though he had wandered, Steve had found no signs of any sort of exit. The dimension consisted of nothingness all around him, except for the ambient light that allowed him to see himself. He was helpless, unable to do anything but scream into the void for someone to save him.

He hated it.

Crossing his legs in front of him, he looked up at the sky (ceiling?) once more. Herobrine wasn't there, as far as he knew. Was he already… gone? He didn't know how long he'd been out.

His thoughts strayed back to his home, his farm, his dogs playing in the front yard while the chickens roamed the grounds freely. The wheat had been almost mature. He wouldn't be there to harvest it, would he?

Slowly, Steve lay down on his side, lowering his head to the ground. Would his captor send him away as well? Sell him? What would happen to him after that? What would they do to him?

He was scared. There was nothing he could do.

* * *

Not bad for a day's work.

Caden slid back into his chair, taking a sip of the 6th mug of coffee he'd had that day. It had been about 12 hours now since he successfully hunted down his prey, and sent a few messages to some friends in the business. With any luck, they'd know where he could find the best place to auction off his wares.

He heard glass shatter across the house, and his face pinched in a scowl. His deadbeat father must have gotten home. He'd probably be up half the night, raving about whatever had annoyed him that day, but otherwise he shouldn't be bothered. The old man knew better than to bother him while he was working.

Rolling a bit closer to his desk, he minimized a passive firewall program and glanced at the file on his desktop - . He hadn't heard back from his friends yet - he may as well check out the second one.

He opened the world, and the screen was filled with blackness- except for a small, blue-and-brown figure.

...human figure.

Caden's brow creased, and he zoomed in to find a man sitting silently in the center of the room. He had a thin beard and darkened skin, with blue eyes focused on the abyss below him. He looked to be almost thirty, and his clothes were worn and stained.

...this was Stephanus? What had happened to the blocky character he'd stolen from the server? He was 100% sure he hadn't always looked like that.

Minimizing the window, he opened Herobrine's prison, identical in form to his counterpart's. Indeed, Herobrine's avatar was almost identical, albeit with glowing eyes- eye. One was heavily scarred. Dim. His hair was longer, too, falling down to his shoulders but leaving the back of his neck exposed. There was still a mark.

Pulling up the windows side-by-side, Caden sat back with a frown. Had they been disguised somehow while in their server? Did they notice a change? If so, they seemed to be over it already. There was a lot of detail on their avatars, though, including scars that couldn't have been formed in the half-day they'd been trapped in their respective prisons. Some sort of disguise, then.

He fullscreened the Steve's window, and clicked a tool on the far left. Using it, he clicked on the darkness near the avatar's head, making a tapping sound and startling the AI inside.

"Hello?" Stephanus scrambled to his feet, arms held close to his body as he scanned the void for the source of the noise. He didn't respond, and the figure turned in a slow circle before sinking to his knees again. Caden tapped once more, and again his prisoner jumped, prompting a smirk from the teen before he finally opened up the chat.

[sk20111]: Steve, isn't it?

"Hello?" Steve repeated, his voice softer. "That's- yeah. You are-?"

[sk20111]: That's not important.

"Where's Herobrine?"

[sk20111]: He's fine.

"That doesn't answer my question!" Steve raked a hand through his hair, glaring around at the emptiness. "Is he still- here? Or did you already…?" He trailed off, and Caden sat back in his chair. He really didn't like how much emotion he could see in 'Stephanus''s face.

[sk20111]: He's still on my computer, yes.

"Let me see him."

[sk20111]: I don't think so.

"Please." A pleading tone entered the AI's voice. "You have to- please, just let me see him. I'm worried he-"

[sk20111]: Look, I really don't care.

[sk20111]: At all.

Steve deflated a bit, his shoulders slumping as his gaze dropped.

"Then why are you here?"

[sk20111]: I want to hear about you.

[sk20111]: I know all about Herobrine, but you're new to me.

[sk20111]: Where'd you come from? How long have you been around?

"Wait, why Herobrine?" Steve frowned, ignoring his questions. "He hasn't left our server in years. Where would you know him from?"

[sk20111]: This isn't the first time he's found himself my prisoner. Only, this time, he's not getting away.

Steve's mouth dropped open.

"You're- you're the _fake Notch!_" So he knew. "Aren't you?"

[sk20111]: Yep

"How did you- Notch was supposed to deal with you! How did you find us _again?!_" Poor Steve looked horrified, clutching unconsciously at a scar on his left forearm. That was an incredible amount of detail. Had he been formed with said scar, or had he been wounded and developed it? Notch really had put a lot of work into his little pet people.

[sk20111]: Notch isn't as smart as he thinks.

"I wouldn't-" Steve cut off, hesitated, then sunk to his knees once more. For a few moments, he stared at his feet, and Caden wondered if he should prompt him again. Before he could start typing, though, the man finally asked in a small voice,

"What are you going to do with me?" The hacker hummed aloud.

[sk20111]: I'm not sure yet

[sk20111]: Something fun.

"Fun for me, or fun for you?" Was his follow-up question, an edge of bitterness in his voice. "Because of what you did to Herobrine is any indication, I don't want anything to do with your idea of 'fun'."

[sk20111]: unfortunately for you, you don't have a choice.

Gritting his teeth, Steve turned away, staring down at the ground once more. Though Caden tried to question him further, the AI only shook his head, otherwise ignoring him. Oh well. He didn't want to damage him, at least, not yet, so he backed off for now.

He checked on Herobrine as well, but he was silent and still in his empty prison. He poked at him a couple of times, and he reacted, but didn't make any attempt to communicate. That was in character.

Downing the last of his coffee, Caden closed both windows and switched over to another project. Until his friends got back to him he couldn't do much, short of harassing his prisoners, so he resolved to change gears for a while. He could leave Steve to stew for a while.

Maybe after another 24 hours of nothingness he'd be more inclined to talk.


	18. Hopeless

Everything was dark.

Herobrine's vision was fuzzy, unfocused - not that there was anything to focus on. His body was beginning to ache from holding the same position for - hours? Days? How long had it been? His body shook slightly, shivering from the chill of the empty void.

Everything was dark, and cold.

He could feel cuts on his skin, blood leaking out and dripping to the floor - only, when he looked, there was nothing but scars. The back of his neck burned as though touched with an open flame, and his head _hurt_.

Everything was dark, and cold, and hurt.

A horrible feeling held his heart in its icy clutches, of horror and guilt and terror and fear. An awful feeling of anticipation, that the worst was yet to come. The only movement he could make was to blink, slowly, in time with his shallow breaths. His limbs were frozen to the bone.

He couldn't figure out where he was, or why. All he knew was that it was dark, it was cold, he was in pain, and he was afraid.

A soft _tap_ broke the deafening silence.

Blinking, the demigod lifted his head an inch, searching for the source of the noise. The hacker, it occurred to him a moment later. Who else could interact with him in this place?

To his alarm, the endless black seemed to get somehow _darker._ He didn't know why, but he knew it was bad, his heart speeding up as it beat erratically in his chest.

_Thump thump-thump thump-thump-thump-thump-thumpthumpthumpthum_

A small room loaded around him.

Immediately, his head shot up, only for him to emit a pained sound as his stiff neck ached with protest. Lifting a hand and pressing it to the back of his neck - which, he noticed, soothed the burning pain - he looked around at his surroundings.

It wasn't minecraft, not the blocks and squares he was used to. Instead, dozens of shapes existed even in this small space, a white room furnished with a bed, a chair, and a table, all in varying shades of grey. Why was he here?

Slowly, painstakingly, the demigod fallen warrior rose to his feet. Carefully, he stepped over to the bed, examining it for any sort of mechanism. He didn't see a trap, but this was the hacker's world - he had no power, and his captor had it all.

Instead, he retreated to a corner, settling back against the wall and letting his eyes fall shut. Maybe he could get some rest before whatever the hacker had planned for him began.

* * *

Herobrine wasn't moving.

The AI sat still and silent in the corner of the room he had been brought to, only movement being the steady rise and fall of his chest. Did he need to breathe, Caden wondered idly? Would he suffocate if not provided air?

Shaking his head, Caden returned to the matter at hand - a silent, lifeless body in the corner of a room was hardly enticing to potential customers. He needed him to be up and moving, to prove that he was all the hacker knew he could be. Otherwise, he wouldn't sell.

Entering the chat, Caden began to type a message - and felt an intense wave of deja vu wash over him. He remembered a similar situation, Herobrine locked in a bedrock cell and refusing to perform for his games. As such, he had announced his execution. This time, obviously, he couldn't kill his merchandise. He'd have to come up with something else.

...Herobrine's body was covered in scars, crisscrossing the visible skin on his arms and showing through the cuts in his shirt.

Had he done all that?

[sk20111]: Herobrine.

The AI didn't move, and Caden clicked on his head, dragging it an inch, and Herobrine's hand shot up to his head as he was jerked to the right. Hand pressed to his head, he looked up, eyes barely visible through nearly-shut eyelids.

[sk20111]: Get up.

He was ignored once more, and though Caden pushed him over he still made no move to obey. Herobrine took the manhandling in silence, his only move to press both hands to his head as he was shoved over on his side. He planned to be stubborn, then.

Unfortunately for him, the hacker had called his bluff. Steve was certainly just as intelligent as he was, and from his actions Caden could tell they really were close. That made him a wonderful hostage.

[sk20111]: fine. i'll grab steve then.

He waited. It paid off. Slowly, surely, Herobrine dragged himself upright, looking up towards where he must assume his POV was.

[sk20111]: thank you.

[sk20111]: now listen up:

[sk20111]: you're going to be streamed live to a lobby of potential buyers. You're going to perform for them, understand?

[sk20111]: act like a human. otherwise I'll switch you out with steve. i'm sure he'd be much more cooperative.

[Herobrine]: why should i trust you?

Caden blinked at the retort.

[Herobrine]: for all i know, you've killed him or sent him away already.

Fair enough. Without responding, the teen opened Steve's prison to find him curled up in the center of the void, asleep. Before he could think better of it, he grabbed his file and dragged him into Herobrine's world. After vanishing altogether momentarily, the man reappeared in the center of the white room, falling to the ground with a _thump_ and startling him awake.

"What th-" Immediately, Herobrine whirled around, hurrying to his twin's side and grabbing his wrist. Steve's head jerked up, and he stiffened upon seeing Herobrine above him. "Herobrine?"

[Herobrine]: Are you hurt?

"I- no." His shoulders slumped with relief, and he glanced around the room as Herobrine tugged him upright. "Where- are we?" Herobrine didn't respond in the chat, but Steve nodded anyway a moment later, examining his surroundings. Did they have another way to communicate?

The two were nearly silent from then on, communicating solely in gestures and facial expressions. Caden guessed they didn't want him knowing what they were saying.

He left them there for a few minutes, watching idly as they retreated back to the corner and sat together in silence. They stayed a few inches apart, talking in their silent, private language.

After about 5 minutes, he put Steve back in his own prison. Herobrine shot upright the moment his friend disappeared, eyes wide for a moment before narrowing as he turned to focus on his POV.

[sk20111]: That proof enough for you?

There was a pause, Herobrine looking down at the ground.

[Herobrine]: Yes.

[sk20111]: You will cooperate with me, or any number of things could happen to him.

The AI didn't respond, eyes downcast as he held his arms to his chest. Caden could see his lips moving, almost imperceptibly, but he didn't make a sound. Talking to himself, in a sense…?

[sk20111]: Did you hear me?

Again, nothing. Herobrine's fingers tightened where they clutched his sleeves, his shoulders rising as tension built in his body. Caden had originally assumed he was being stubborn, but… there was something else there.

Frustrated, the hacker sat back, tapping his fingers on the arm of his chair. Herobrine was… more human than he remembered. He was showing signs of shock, of trauma, whereas last time the only thing he'd seen was spite and self-consumed rage. Although, his perspective of him last time had been… different. Regardless, he doubted he could force him into cooperating, even with Steve as a hostage.

Maybe, then…?

[sk20111]: Cooperate with me, and I'll let Steve go.

That caught his attention, Herobrine lifting his head with confusion reading on his face. It was a lie, of course. He couldn't put him back in the server if he wanted to, after all, he'd deleted it. But his captive had no way of knowing that.

[Herobrine]: How can I trust you?

[sk20111]: You don't have much of a choice.

[sk20111]: Make a decision.

[Herobrine]: I'll do it.

He didn't hesitate. Definitely more human.

[sk20111]: Good.

[sk20111]: I'll inform you when the stream begins.

With that, he closed the window, intending to check to see if his messages had been replied to. Before he could open the program, though, something else caught his attention - Steve's prison was still open. His captive sat in the center of the empty room, arms curled around his legs with his face buried in his forearms.

He was crying.

Caden closed the window immediately. He couldn't afford to feel sorry for him - not with what was at stake. Deciding against checking on his contacts for the moment, the hacker buried himself in his latest commission once more, letting the strings of letters and numbers distract him from any emotions he might be feeling.

Feeling guilty wouldn't put food on the table.


	19. Coerced

**Review replies:**

**Some Random Kid: Hey not to be dramatic but id die for you**

* * *

_[Herobrine - Stephanus]: you need to get out._

_[Herobrine - Stephanus]: i don't care how, trick him, fight him, whatever you have to do to escape._

_[Herobrine - Stephanus]: i can't let him do to you what he did to me._

_Steve's only response was a stiff shake of his head. He wouldn't leave without him._

_[Herobrine - Stephanus]: he already hates me. there's no hope that he'll let me go._

_[Herobrine - Stephanus]: he doesn't know you. take advantage of that._

_Steve shook his head again, fixing a scowl on his face before mouthing 'we can beat him'._

_[Herobrine - Stephanus]: do you truly think that if I had any hope that we would win this, that i would abandon you to suffer him?_

_[Herobrine - Stephanus]: i admire your determination, but please just stop. It's not worth it._

_Stephanus frowned, then opened his mouth to reply aloud, but Herobrine silenced him with a hand pressed over his mouth._

_[Herobrine - Stephanus]: i'm sorry, i'm so sorry that i brought you into this_

_[Herobrine - Stephanus]: i can't do anything now. i'm sorry_

_[Herobrine - Stephanus]: please take any chance you have to escape_

_[Herobrine - Stephanus]: i'm sorry i can't help you anymore_

_Steve's eyes filled with sorrow and empathy, and he grabbed Herobrine's wrist, pushing it away from his face, trying to speak -_

_-only for his form to disappear a millisecond later._

* * *

[uuuennj227 has joined the lobby]

[f1reb4ll200 has joined the lobby]

[enbnnms055 has joined the lobby]

Herobrine walked stiffly across the small space of his prison, then turned around and walked back. He wasn't sure what his captor wanted him to do, now that he was being observed by the potential buyers, but he knew if he sat in a corner and did nothing that Steve would suffer for it. So, he paced.

Nothing about this proved that he was intelligent, which was what the hacker wanted. Undoubtedly he'd be given some sorts of tests in order to prove himself, he just didn't know the nature of them just yet.

[sk20111]: It can see the chat. It will respond to orders.

[f1reb4ll200]: Interesting.

[f1reb4ll200]: Turn around.

Herobrine turned in a circle.

[wwwd0twww]: Clap twice.

He clapped.

At one time, he would have refused. Sneered at them, attempted to humiliate his captor for trying to show him off like a circus monkey.

Not now. Now, the old, familiar rage no longer bubbled in his chest. He couldn't bring himself to glare, nor bare his teeth at his enemies. One thought continued to bounce around in his skull, repeating over, and over, and over.

_Is Steve safe?_

He had no reason whatsoever to trust that the hacker would go through with his promise, but he had no power to change it, so his only hope was to cooperate as best as he could. Once again, he was a fallen king, stripped of power and rank and lowered to the darkest dungeons to serve his time.

Only this time, his sentence was eternal.

[f1reb4ll200]: Say something.

[Herobrine]: Very well.

[Herobrine]: What do you want to hear?

_That I've been trapped in here for two days, but it might as well be years, or moments, because this is forever? That I'm not the only one suffering as a result of my imbecilic actions?_

[f1reb4ll200]: Why do you obey sk20111?

That was easy enough to answer.

[Herobrine]: I have no choice.

[f1reb4ll200]: Elaborate.

Herobrine hesitated. He wasn't sure what he was allowed to reveal.

[Herobrine]: I am a prisoner.

[Herobrine]: I am helpless here.

[Herobrine]: I don't want to be killed.

A reasonable lie, but oh, so false. How he wished that he were dead in this moment, that he had been finished off last time, that Notch never came for him. At least then his actions wouldn't be causing others to suffer.

[f1reb4ll200]: You're afraid for your life, then?

[Herobrine]: Yes.

[f1reb4ll200]: Do you understand your situation?

[Herobrine]: Unfortunately so.

[uuuennj227]: do you believe you'll be killed?

[Herobrine]: No.

[Herobrine]: I believe it will be worse.

The buyers went quiet for a few minutes. Herobrine suspected they were talking to his captor.

[uuuennj227]: are you human?

[Herobrine]: No.

[uuuennj227]: sk20111 claims you're vulnerable to physical harm. Is that true?

[Herobrine]: Yes.

[uuuennj227]: show us.

Herobrine hesitated. Why, and… how? The room had nothing in the way of weapons, it was clean and bare except for the smattering of furniture. After a moment, though, he turned and slammed his fist into the wall as hard as he could.

Pain shot up his arm, and he stepped back with a soft growl as purple bruises began to bloom on his knuckles. He lifted his fist, unsure whether or not they could see.

[f1reb4ll200]: Can you interact with code?

[Herobrine]: If I can get to it.

[f1reb4ll200]: Can you hack?

[Herobrine]: in a sense.

[enbnnms055]: do you need food to survive? water? air?

[Herobrine]: i will not die from lack of it.

[f1reb4ll200]: solve a math problem for us. 2783 x 3677.

Herobrine halted.

[Herobrine]: I'm afraid I'm not that kind of program.

[f1reb4ll200]: Then what kind of program are you?

A broken one.

[Herobrine]: i believe the appeal is that i am humanlike. I have true free will.

[f1reb4ll200]: Is that so?

[Herobrine]: yes.

[f1reb4ll200]: Prove it.

…

[Herobrine]: again, how?

[f1reb4ll200]: How do you think it could be proven? If you are as intelligent as you claim, you'll figure it out.

His heart beat uneasily, and he looked at the floor for a moment.

[Herobrine]: i can do whatever i wish, should it be in my power to do so.

He began to pace, crossing the room again and again.

[Herobrine]: but i am unwilling to draw the ire of my captor.

[f1reb4ll200]: Captor?

[Herobrine]: obviously i did not choose to find myself imprisoned.

[Herobrine]: i would escape if it were possible, but i am not that powerful.

[f1reb4ll200]: I see.

[sk20111]: Do you feel sufficiently introduced?

A brief pause.

[sk20111]: Good. Then, ladies and gentlemen, let the bidding begin.


	20. It Begins

**oh right, im posting this here too. whoops.**

* * *

The deed was done.

$20,000. That was how much his captive had sold for. Caden had plans for the money the moment the deal had gone through, mind whirling at the concept of _so much money._ This was definitely worth it, and now he wondered if he could get the same - or _more_ \- for Steve.

Using a secure file transfer, Caden locked Herobrine up in a fixed folder and sent him to the buyer. He had no idea who they were- they'd used throwaway accounts for the auction, so he really didn't have a single clue. All he knew was that he had gotten revenge, on both Herobrine and Notch, and gotten a large sum of money to boot. He should be ecstatic.

...so why was he so uneasy?

After the initial high, his mood had settled into a general anxiety. What if Notch found out? He'd been angry last time, this time - _this _time he'd kill him. What if Herobrine somehow came back to haunt him? Given that he was an AI, he could completely disrupt his work. Or what if he didn't behave for his new owners, and they blamed it on him? He knew the dark net was chock-full of dangerous individuals, if they thought he'd ripped them off-

-but there was no sense worrying, 20k was enough for him to buy a car and flee should worst come to worst. Besides, he had a trump card - Steve. Another one of Notch's pets, and Herobrine's most prized possession, he would keep at least the both of them at bay.

Speaking of said possession, he should check on him. He hadn't so much as glanced at his prisoner since he had torn him away from his friend about 24 hours ago.

Before he did that, though, Caden got up and stretched. It had to be almost morning, he should eat. He would've held his auction during the day, but apparently 'the dark net' was taken quite literally by those interested in his wares. Hence, nighttime.

The teen milled around his quiet house, tiptoeing past his drunk and passed-out father collapsed on the living room floor before making his way to the kitchen and getting a snack. A bad of stale chips wasn't the most filling of sustenance, but it'd keep him going for a while longer.

When he opened up Steve's prison, he found the prisoner sitting silently in the center of the void he resided in. His eyes were downcast, dark shadows underneath them as he appeared to be deep in thought. The bags under his eyes made the teen pause - if those appeared, was he hungry? Thirsty? While he had outfitted both prisons (Herobrine's and the backup, which he had made in case the first didn't work for some reason) with a supply of oxygen, there was no food or water. Although, Herobrine had professed to his clients that he wouldn't die from starvation or dehydration. Most likely Steve was the same.

On an impulse, Caden plugged his headset into his computer and connected his mic to the contained world. He hesitated, for just a moment, then spoke aloud,

"Hello?"

* * *

"Hello?" Steve jumped at the voice, breaking his concentration on his thoughts and pulling his attention to a point just above him. He looked up, but saw nothing. The hacker, then?

"Hello?"

"Hello, Steve." Undoubtedly the hacker. The miner found himself struggling to keep up, even though he had only heard two words, due to his captor's voice. He sounded so _young_.

"You're younger than I imagined." He heard himself say. A pause, then a soft chuckle.

"I hadn't considered that, but, yeah, I guess."

"How old are you?" He didn't know why he was asking these questions, when there were so many more _reasonable_ things he could be asking, but they kept coming out anyway. Maybe he just craved human contact. He'd been alone for a couple of days now.

"I'm 17."

"You're a kid."

"How old are you?" The boy asked, not acknowledging his response.

"I don't know." Steve paused, getting to his feet. "Maybe 13 or 14 years old."

"Have you always looked like that?"

"If you're asking whether or not I age, the answer is I don't think so."

"That's about it, yeah. How much do you know about what you are?"

"I'm a… person?" He was starting to catch up with what was going on, now. "Where's Herobrine?"

"He's- gone. He's gone." A forced harshness worked its' way into the boy's voice. "I sold him off." Steve blinked. A frown worked its way on his face despite his attempts to keep it blank, and he opened his mouth, voice trembling as he spoke.

"Why?" A pause. "What makes you think- _why? _How could you possibly be cruel enough to take - after what you've _already done_ \- tear him- _us _away from our home? Lock me in here, in this _nothingness?_ And make him a _slave?!_"

"He's not a slave, he's a tool. Slaves are people."

"Explain how Herobrine's not a person?!" Steve shoved himself upright, furiously blinking away the tears that blurred his vision. "So that- that answers my question. You think that he's somehow worth less than you."

"He's a _program._ He's not a human being. He might be smart, but that doesn't make him worthy of personal autonomy!" Steve hesitated, a brow quirking at the unfamiliar word, but the boy went on. "He was too dangerous free, my research showed that he was capable of roaming the internet freely. We're better off with him trapped."

"But he _didn't!_" Steve threw his hands in the air. "He _didn't _leave his server! He was content to just _exist_ by himself! Why did you have to ruin it for him?!"

"He's dangerous."

"Not after what you did to him, he isn't!" Steve fired back. "You changed him. _Broke_ him. He wasn't willing to hurt people, even just player avatars, after what you did!"

"You don't know that! You don't know what he's done!" The hacker snapped. "You don't know he- he terrorized the players for _years!_ He hurt them just for _fun!_"

"They were _players! _They didn't feel it! All it did was force them to respawn! And I _do _know what he's done!" Steve yanked his shirt up, revealing the dark scar on his side. "Herobrine's done far more to me." A stunned silence.

"...what do you mean?" The teen asked at last.

"He beat me within an inch of death." Dropping his shirt, he pressed a hand to a row of scars on his forearm. "Gained my trust, then took away everything I had. Killed my dogs, destroyed my home. It took me _years_ just to be able to go outside without being paralyzed with fear."

"Then why the **** are you on his side?" Utter bewilderment tainted his captor's voice.

"Because _I_ know how to forgive people!" Steve snapped. "He can't change what he did in the past, but he changed how he treated people in the future! I suppose I… I could thank you for that." The miner felt a smile twitch at his lips. "What you did to him changed him. You made him realize just what it felt like to be helpless and scared."

Steve jabbed a finger in the direction of the voice. "But that's _no _excuse to continue tormenting him! He's learned his lesson!"

"Look, I couldn't do anything now if I tried!" Did he detect a tremble in the boy's voice? "He's gone! I don't even know who owns him now!"

"Then get _help!_"

"From who?! It's not like I can go to the police and say 'hey I stole an artificial intelligence and then sold it to some other thieves, can you help me find them so I can steal him back?'!"

"I don't know what you're talking about. But- _Notch._" Notch was real, a real person, wasn't he? "Notch could find him."

The boy gave a stunted chuckle. "Notch hates me."

"Notch is a kind person. He would help us."

"He wouldn't. He'd throw me back in prison." His captor responded bitterly. "A-and we're not a 'we'. An 'us'. I'm not bringing him back, even if I could. He's a danger, he's better off imprisoned."

"What about me, then?!" Steve cried out in frustration. "I'm just the same as he is! Does that make me a villain? A weapon?! Are you going to sell me too?"

"No." The voice was unexpectedly firm. "I'm keeping you."

"Why?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure." That air of detachment was slipping back into his voice, the bored tone that meant he wasn't really listening. "Maybe just because I find you very interesting."

"Good to know." Steve responded bitterly. "What's your name?"

"What?" The boy hesitated, caught off guard. "My name?"

"Your name."

"Caden."

"Caden, get out of my server." Steve ordered, keeping his voice as strong as he possibly could as he sunk back to the ground. "I want the nothingness back."

* * *

A white room loaded around him.

Herobrine looked up, glowing eye blinking lazily as he took in his surroundings. A single doorway sat at the other end of the room, which was lit by ambient, invisible lighting.

A message appeared in the corner of his vision.

[**Solve the maze**]

The exit was to a maze, then? Herobrine almost scoffed, letting his eyes fall shut again. No, it was over. He had been sold. Nothing he did not would affect Steve's safety, so why not give up now?

Searching pain overwhelmed his senses, and he heard the scream before he felt the air rushing from his lungs.


	21. Alone

Herobrine was gone.

Markus Persson leaned back in his seat, one hand dragged down his face as he stared at the screen in front of him. A contact had informed him of a dark-net auction that had taken place a few days prior, in which one user sold an AI that he claimed was as reminiscent of a real person as it was possible for a program to be. At the same time, all information he was receiving from Herobrine's server had fallen silent.

A gnawing unease had been eating away at him for days, but now he was certain of what was going on.

He had asked some of his more trusted friends to help him search - primarily, Jeb. A few others that knew of Herobrine's existence. Though he worked, almost feverishly, a little voice in the back of his continued to tell him that _it was hopeless. He's gone._

He refused to give up. Not yet.

His eyes strayed over to the "Steve death counter" in this corner of the screen. As always, it rested on 0. His second Steve was unreachable as well, but Notch doubted he was in as bad a situation as the first. With any luck, he was simply trapped in his server.

He rubbed one eye with the heel of his hand again. It was late. He'd been at the office for hours longer than normal, searching for his missing project. Was he even still out there? What if he had been deleted? Damaged beyond repair?

...he would keep searching, for now.

* * *

Steve was gone.

Herobrine lay limp on his side in his small, dim prison, unblinking eyes following a drop of blood as it slid down his wrist and joined the rest on the hard floor. He couldn't move if he'd wanted to, his body damaged almost too much for him to stand. The pain did the rest. His captors had hurt him, seemingly just to see if it was possible for him to be hurt.

As they had learned, it was.

He clung to his memories of Steve, trying to block out the pain with reminders of better days. A small voice told him that he deserved it, that this was simply punishment for all that he had done, but _no_ the rest of him argued. This was too much. A step too far for punishment.

He wished he could have done something more. His captor's actions had given him little assurance that his word would be made good on, it wouldn't surprise him in the least if he somehow found that his friend had been auctioned off in much the same manner as he had. The thought bothered him more than his physical discomfort. He had gone through this before, or, at least, something similar. Steve would be broken within days of such treatment.

Maybe hours.

All he could do was hope, but even that seemed too difficult to manage. Hope was nearly impossible to find in this dark, damp cell, coated with his own blood, senses overwhelmed by the coppery scent. Would he bleed out? He didn't think so. He hadn't the last time. He wanted to hope, he truly did.

He just didn't know how.

* * *

Notch was gone.

He had to be, Steve reasoned as he sat in his infinite prison, arms tucked around his knees as he hugged them to his chest. He wouldn't abandon them to suffer this, would he? At least, he wouldn't leave Herobrine. He hadn't last time.

He only had the faintest memories of his creator, of a man with a kind face and warm eyes. Since then, Herobrine had been his only companion. At least, only one the same as him. Joe was a welcome guest, but he wasn't quite the same.

The miner gazed up at the infinite nothingness, almost wishing his captor would come back. The endless darkness seemed to grow heavier and heavier as time went on, weighing on his already heavy heart. He _hated_ this sense of helplessness. He was utterly powerless to affect his own situation - much less Herobrine's. Where was he now? He didn't know, and probably never would.

Loosening his hold on his knees, Steve sank down onto his back, letting his eyes fall shut against the inky blackness. A dull pang of hunger kept his attention even as he wished he could sleep, the numb comfort of unconsciousness hanging just outside his reach. Would his captor feed him? Probably not.

Rolling onto his side, he tried to focus on something else - the surface that he lay on. It felt like nothing, no texture, no temperature, only solidity. A weird feeling, to be sure. Better than stone, at least. Better than cold.

He longed for someone to come and save him, but his only savior was already long gone.


	22. Not Good Enough

What was he supposed to do now?

Caden rested his chin in his hand, only to shift upright again a moment later, too restless to hold still. He had already spent much of the money he had gotten for Herobrine, paying overdue bills and rent. His main job had hit a roadblock, and he had to wait for an outsider to fix an issue, so his other source of income had ground to a halt as well. It had barely been two days since he'd scored all that money, and already he was faced with the possibility of being broke once more.

His eyes focused on Steve's prison. Would he be worth…?

No, he'd already made up his mind to keep him. At least, until things got really bad.

Mousing over the icon, he opened the prison to find his captive curled up on the ground - fast asleep. His chest rose and fell with each breath, and Caden wondered once more if he needed to breathe. On that subject, did he need to eat?

Clicking away, Caden busied himself for a moment with getting into his minecraft source files and putting some food items in a chest. He added a couple bottles of water as an afterthought as well - minecraft avatars didn't need to drink, but, obviously Steve was more than that.

Once the chest was prepared, he imported it into the miner's small world and left it a few feet away from his sleeping place. Given that the rest of the dimension was bare and empty, there was no possible way he'd miss it.

Before he closed the window, he paused, taking a long look at the man's face. Even in sleep, his expression was pinched and anxious. He was far more sophisticated than the teen had ever imagined.

Almost - _almost _human.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Caden spun around, turning away. He- it _wasn't _a human. It was a little robot that was very good at making people feel sorry for it. Humans were wired to feel a connection to anything that looked like them, and that was it. Maybe it'd be better if he put him back in Minecraft.

...although, now it might be too late.

Pushing away from his desk, Caden stood, striding out of the room and leaving his computer behind. He needed to get something to eat.

* * *

"Stephanus." Steve looked up instinctively, though he knew he wouldn't be able to find the source of the voice. With a heavy sigh, he lowered the half-eaten piece of bread into his lap.

"What do you want, Caden?"

"I just want to talk." The defensive undertone was still there, but this his voice wasn't quite so closed off. He was listening.

"About what?" Steve sat up straight, peering around into the darkness. "All the terrible things you're going to do to me? How you're somehow justified in doing this because you're out there, and I'm in-"

"I'm not going to do anything to you." Caden interrupted. "I gave you food, didn't I?" Steve glanced down at the bread in his hand. He could've guessed. The chest containing food and water had been there when he woke up, and he had quietly praised Notch for the relief for his empty stomach and parched throat.

"You did." He allowed. "But that hardly assures me that you don't plan any harm."

"Take my word for it, then." The boy's voice sounded… heavier. Sadder? "I have nothing to gain from that anyway."

"Then you'll sell me to someone who will?"

"I'm not going to sell you."

"Why not?" A brief pause, then a hasty response.

"I just want to keep you. See how you work. I want to keep you for myself."

"And why not Herobrine?" The miner fired back. "Why did you send him away, and keep me? Why not the other way around?"

"Look, I don't have to answer anything from you." The forced rigidity was back in his voice. "Just drop it."

"Fine." Steve lowered his gaze to the food again. It was the same in appearance as the bread he baked for himself back in his home, but the taste was different. More flat, more dull. As though it was as depressed as he was.

"Would you like me to move you somewhere else?" The question was quiet, and so unexpected that Steve at first wasn't sure if he'd imagined it. Frowning, he lifted his gaze, instinctively scanning the void for any sign of his captor.

"What do you mean?" He answered slowly.

"Put you in another world. This one is… it's basically nothingness." Caden elaborated. Pointless, since Steve had been in here long enough to discover that yes, it was nothing. "I have some other worlds - other stages. I could put you in one of those."

"I want to go home." The reply slipped out before he could stop it. He hesitated, briefly wondering if he should cut himself off now, but pressed on. "I miss my home - my pets, I have _friends _there. If you're not going to do anything to me, just- why don't you just put me back?"

"I can't." Was Caden's quiet response. "I've already deleted your server. It's gone."

The piece of bread dropped onto the ground as Steve's grip went slack.

"Tell me you're not serious."

"Sorry."

"You're not sorry." Bracing a hand on the ground, Steve shoved himself up, stumbling upright as he glared up at the emptiness. "You- you _deleted _it. You deleted my _home?!_"

"I was trying to make sure that here was no chance you could escape. The server was a liability, especially while it was on my computer."

"My dogs. My friends. You _destroyed_ them." Hot, angry tears pricked at his eyes, all traces of sadness replaced by burning, awful _anger_. "I've lived there for more than _ten years, _and you-"

"I'm _sorry, _okay?!" Caden snapped, cutting him off as he raised his voice. "I didn't know. In all honesty, if I hadn't done it I'd put you back now. I'd keep it on my computer, so I could watch you, but I'd put you back. I'm _sorry._"

"You're not- _sorry._"

Joe was gone.

"You don't know- you don't know what it's like to have your life _ripped away_ from you." The tears started to overflow, trailing down his face and dripping off his chin. "You're not _sorry. _You don't even _understand _what you've done."

"You think I don't know what it's like to lose a home? To lose loved ones?" His captor shot back. "To be trapped and humiliated?"

"I _know_ you don't know what it feels like to be caged like an _animal_." His breath caught, and Steve hiccuped, trying to force away the lump in his throat. "To be poked at and prodded. Treated like an object. And you don't _care._" Turning his face to the ground once more, he managed, "you're not sorry." Then, he fell silent.

He heard a soft tone as Caden disconnected from the world.

Sinking to his knees, Steve let his shoulders slump as tears streamed freely from his burning eyes. As if this wasn't bad enough, he - Herobrine was already gone, but now, _now_ there was no going home. No home left to go to. Everything had been destroyed.

And he wouldn't be surprised if Herobrine had, as well.


	23. Captive Freedom

The next time Steve awoke, it was to the gentle warmth of sunshine on his skin.

Flipping over, Steve pushed himself up, eyes darting around to examine his surroundings. Minecraft. He was back in minecraft. An oak forest, with a chest beside him surrounded by torches. A new world…?

Slowly, the miner rocked to his feet. How did he get here? On that note, was this real? His dreams had become harder and harder to distinguish from reality…

He opened the chest. Inside was a stack of iron ingots and a set of tools, one of the most important things to have when trying to survive. Taking the axe in his hand, he straightened up, gazing around at the biome he had been placed in.

No sense in letting this go to waste.

* * *

Once again, everything was pitch-black.

Herobrine took a cautious step in the darkness, feeling with his foot for anything in his path. Even the light of his eyes made no impact on the darkness, the smothering blackness overwhelming the pitiful amount of light he could create. The only thing he could see, the only light in his world of darkness, was a tiny pinprick of sunlight at the other end of the tunnel. He didn't know how far away it was, but he did know that he wouldn't be released until he found it.

A growl rang out in the darkness.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Herobrine focused on the echo, trying to get an idea of his surroundings. The sound had come from behind him, about twenty feet back. His pursuer undoubtedly had means to track him in the darkness - either hearing or smell, he wasn't sure. For now, he should stay as quiet as possible. In his current state, he doubted he could take on whatever it was that hunted him.

One foot after the other, he moved towards the light, ears straining for any sound from his opponent. One by one, the seconds ticked by, and he gained more and more ground as light grew closer and closer.

He heard the footsteps only moments before he was tackled onto the ground.

Herobrine let out a pained growl as a heavy form slammed him onto his back, claws digging into his shoulders as a snarl came from above him. Some sort of wolf-like creature-?

Twisting away, Herobrine jerked to the side, bracing one hand on the creature's limb and shoving as hard as he could. The creature stumbled, and he managed to push himself away, stumbling back to his feet and breaking into a sprint. Banking a hard left, he ran for the light once more.

It didn't last long.

A moment later, he was crashing to the ground once more, a huge paw planted on his back as his chin cracked against the floor. Though he struggled, forearms braced against the cold ground beneath him, he could do nothing against his far more powerful attacker.

Something wet hit the back of his neck, followed by hot, dense breath. Then teeth. His captors wouldn't let him die, he knew that, but he didn't know how far they would let this go.

Gritting his teeth, he braced one palm against the ground, trying his hardest to throw his attacker off balance. The beast wavered, and he pressed harder, throwing his body to the side. Suddenly free, he scrambled upright once more, and lunged forward, grabbing the beast's head between his hands.

_You're mine now._

The beast stopped.

Its' eyes turned white.

Immediately, the darkness disappeared.

Herobrine stumbled back as he found himself back in his cell, stopping short as he hit the far wall. His grip on the creature was gone - it had probably been deactivated as soon as he had taken over. He pressed a hand over his blind eye, blinking in the sudden light.

He shouldn't have done that. Shouldn't have shown them what he could do.

The dark grey was replaced once more by white, and he fell as his support disappeared. He didn't even try to catch himself, landing hard on his back and letting out a grunt as his eyes squeezed shut. Lowering his head onto the surface, he blinked his working eye open once more, staring up into the emptiness as he waited for his torment to continue.

Something appeared in the corner of his eye, and he raised his head.

Three of the creatures stood to his left, idle animations playing as they watched him. A fourth appeared, then a fifth. A sixth. Blinking tiredly, Herobrine only lowered his head, closing his eyes and waiting as the monsters charged.


	24. Guilt

He couldn't do this anymore.

Caden paced back and forth in his office, one hand at his mouth as he nervously chewed at his nails. He hated, _hated_ how he was reacting to this, but the guilt for what he'd done was overwhelming. He'd tried to excuse it, but he couldn't.

He'd stolen an innocent young man from his home and taken everything away from him. Not even the coldest heart could play that off as being okay.

But what could he do about it now? He'd given Stephan a new world, released him from his prison. His world was gone, long deleted, there was no hope of bringing it back now. And there was no way he could get Herobrine back, even if he wanted to. He didn't even know who had taken him.

He wanted to say he was sorry, but that hadn't gone well last time, why should it now? What could he say or do to fix this? He had to do _something, _the horrible heaviness in his chest was becoming unbearable.

He sat down at his desk, and opened up Steve's new world.

The miner was back to being blocky, just an avatar, but it didn't change how he interacted with the world around him. He had built a small home for himself, and currently he sat just outside the front door with a tamed wolf lying half in his lap. It was impossible to gauge his expression, but he seemed… at least a bit more content. At least that was a start.

He cast a glance at his headset, but ultimately decided against trying to talk. He would have to, eventually, but for now he should give him time. Trying to make amends too early would only deepen the hole he had dug himself.

Minimizing the window, Caden threw himself into his other project, trying to drive the feelings of guilt from his mind.

He could've guessed it wouldn't be that easy.

* * *

Steve had almost forgotten how fun it was to explore.

The miner climbed up the last block to the top of the mountain, stepping onto the summit and gazing out at the starlit sky. One of his wolves yipped softly from behind him, and a chuckle escaped him as he agreed,

"Yeah, it's pretty." Stepping away from the edge, Steve sat down with his legs crossed, leaning back on his hands as the stars winked down at him. His dogs joined him at his side, and he let out a breath as his eyes fell shut. It was… peaceful, here.

If only he had someone to share it with.

A stab of guilt assaulted him as he thought of Herobrine, alone and confused. It felt so unfair for him to be given this world - set free, in a sense - while Herobrine was undoubtedly being mercilessly tortured. And he couldn't do a single thing about it. Nothing he'd said to his captor had gone through to him, he probably just gave him this world to keep from having to take care of him.

Not unlike a pet of which he'd gotten bored.

One of his dogs growled, and his head jerked up, eyes darting back and forth as he searched for any sign of hostile mobs. Nothing. At least, not until he turned around, just in time for a skeleton's arrow to graze his cheek as it passed.

Immediately, his wolves sprung up to attack, and Steve scrambled away as the mob tumbled off the cliff in a vain attempt to escape. Lifting one hand to his cheek, he pressed one finger against the thin cut. It was barely bleeding, that's good.

Sighing, he got back to his feet, smiling down at his dogs as they rejoined him. He should begin the climb back down before more mobs spawned.

Slowly, cautiously, the miner made his way down the side of the mountain. His wolves teleported down with him from time to time - nearly knocking him off once, but that was hardly their fault - and attacking any mobs they came across. Before he knew it, he stood upon grass once more.

Grabbing his compass from where it hung off of his belt, he squinted through the darkness at the red needle. He'd go a ways further before making his way homewards, drifting to the east so he wouldn't have to climb the mountain again. With any luck, he mulled as he began to walk, he would run across a village. That way he'd be able to trade away some of the supplies he had brought with him.

Caught up in his thoughts, Steve didn't notice the ravine until his next step met only thin air.

He'd hardly realized what was happening when he hit the ground with a _crunch_, pain spiking through his body from his undoubtedly-shattered shoulder. He could only manage a strangled yelp as he crumpled to the stone, blinking away the flashes of color in his vision.

"Oh Notch." He gasped out, his body beginning to tremble. His wolves, he - he could see them out of the corner of his eyes, pacing nervously around his prone form. Food, he needed food. If nothing else, it would jumpstart his body's ability to heal.

But, try as he might, he couldn't access his food stores. All kept in the knapsack on his back, he was incapable of getting to it with the agony that coursed through him with each movement. Going limp on the cold stone, Steve closed his eyes, teeth chattering from the tremors that gripped his form.

_Herobrine _was his first thought. That he'd come. That he'd notice he was missing and come looking for him. But that was impossible, he knew that. Herobrine wasn't here, and he was… probably suffering worse.

His eyes fluttered shut. He'd have to wait it out.

* * *

It was the middle of the night when Caden startled awake.

Blinking away the sleep in his eyes, he lifted his head, gazing sleepily around his office. He'd fallen asleep at his desk. Something had startled him, some sort of noise, maybe? Maybe it was a dream.

An odd feeling clawed at his chest.

He glanced down at his headphones on the desk, which he had been wearing when he fell asleep. Had the sound come from there, maybe…?

Putting the headset back on, he clicked to the several different apps he had open, searching for any source of an unexpected noise. He made it around to Steve's server, focused on the miner's base, and stopped.

Stephan wasn't home.

Caden's brow creased as he typed a command into the chat, sending his spectating account to Steve's location. Why would he not be home? There's a possibility he was mining, he supposed, but he almost never went out at night. Where-?

He entered the command, and found himself at the bottom of a ravine.

Something was wrong. Steve's avatar lay on his stomach on the ground, reminiscent of the swimming animation, but he wasn't moving and his wolves were circling him with slow, deliberate steps. Had he fallen? He couldn't tell if he was hurt, maybe he was just sleeping. Without a bed, it looked odd, but he wasn't your average minecraft player.

Opening his first prison, Caden picked him up and dragged him back into it.

A muted yelp played through his headphones as the man appeared, dropping a couple inches to the 'floor' as he curled into himself. Caden's mouth dropped open in horror, only for it to snap shut a moment later. He had definitely fallen.

His right shoulder lay at an odd angle, blood trickling from an undetermined location under his sleeve. His forehead was bruised, and his blue eyes fluttered as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. Caden's hand shot to his chest as an unfamiliar pang went through him, his heart aching. He was way, _way _too human.

The hacker's fingers shook as they returned to the keyboard, summoning healing potions. This was his fault. It was only fair that he should have to fix it.


	25. Trying to Fix it

The quiet _crash_ of glass shattering beside him startled Steve out of his pain-induced haze.

Immediately, he felt the bones in his shoulder begin to knit, causing him to grit his teeth against the unsettling feeling. The longer it worked, though, the more the pain reduced, and he gradually found himself able to move again as the pain in his head subsided. Cautiously, he reached out with his good arm, trailing his fingers up to his healing shoulder. While an ache remained, and his sleeve was still stained with blood, the crippling pain was gone. What could possibly fix such an awful wound in such a short time?

"Steve?" He jumped at the voice, looking up to find a sort of… some sort of pyramid-shaped entity hovering over him, a little smaller than a standard block. Caden's avatar? "How are you feeling?"

"U-um…" he pushed himself upright, flexing his shoulder. "A lot better. What did- did you-?"

"I found you at the bottom of a ravine. I guessed you fell, so I brought you back here to heal." He was back in the void. He had barely noticed with the shock of his pain being relieved.

"How?" He found himself asking. "Or- why? You're not a healer, nor do you know how I work, I can't imagine you being able to fix me just like that-?"

"I used a potion." Caden gave a small laugh. "Regeneration II." At Steve's bewildered expression, he continued. "I guess you never learned how to make potions?"

"Some, just… not that one." His head still felt fuzzy. "Why?"

"It's- my fault." The words were blunt, but the meaning got through. "I put you there, so it's my fault you got hurt. So, it's my job to fix you up."

"I- oh." Steve rubbed at his aching head, marveling at the apparent kindness his captor was showing him. "Okay. Where- where are my dogs?"

"They're still in your world. I can't guarantee they'll work in this world, so I didn't bring them here. Are you fully healed?"

"N-no." Another bottle shattered on the ground beside him, and he jumped, but by the time he realized what was happening he could already feel the effects of the healing potion. Small swirls rose up from the ground around him, and, dazed, he lifted one hand to try and touch them. They passed through his flesh.

"Thank you." He said, softly. Caden didn't respond for a moment, but finally made a small sound of acknowledgement. "Not that that's- made up for what you've done." He turned weary eyes to the triangle. "But I know you didn't have to do that."

"I- mm." A pause, then, "If you-"

A loud _slam_ cut off the rest of his sentence.

"_CADEN!"_

* * *

"_CADEN!" _Caden's head whipped around at the unexpected shout, rising to his feet at the sight of his father in the doorway. The taller man had a broken bottle clutched in one hand, and he braced himself. He had a weapon.

"What?" Caden swiped his headphones off his head, setting them on the desk beside him. He had to keep him away from his equipment, at the very least. None of this could be replaced, not with all the work he'd done. "What do you want?"

"This-" His father held up the remains of the bottle- some sort of alcohol - then dropped it, letting the glass shatter on the floor beside him. "Was the last in the house."

"So go out and get some more." The hacker cautiously approached the doorway. Steve's world was still on the screen, and, while it was incredibly unlikely that his father would pay any attention to him, he wanted to play it safe.

"There's no more _money!_" A rough hand on his chest shoved him back, and Caden nearly tripped before slamming into his chair. "I know you have more - you've been locked in this **** room for more 'n a week! Hand it over!"

"I don't have anything for _you!_" Regaining his footing, he shoved him back, causing his drunken elder to stumble back a foot. "Go beg on the streets for all I care, I'm not responsible for your expensive habits."

The fist caught him across the jaw before he saw it fly.

Caden brought up his hands to defend himself, but it did little to protect him as another fist slammed into his forearm. Ducking under the next punch, he rammed his elbow into his elder's neck, but that only served to infuriate him further, prompting a barrage of kicks into his stomach and legs. Giving up, Caden fell back onto the floor, burying his head in his arms to protect his face as he was beaten.

After a minute, it stopped. The hacker didn't move for a few moments, head tucked between his legs, as he heard his father move around the room. A _crash_ sounded as something overturned, papers scattering to the floor. Looking for money.

Eventually, he gave up. Heavy footsteps made their way past him, coming dangerously close to Caden's still body before exiting into the hallway. Once he was gone, out of sight, the teen lifted his head to assess the damage.

Stacks of paper were strewn across his usually-clean floor, and a trash can laid on its side with balled-up sheets of paper and empty food containers lying on the floor beside it. He hadn't found any money, of course. It was all electronic. Caden cast a glance at his computer, letting out a sigh of relief upon seeing his setup undamaged. On the screen, Steve was looking around, examining his prison. He must've been confused when he had abruptly stopped talking.

Letting out a low groan, Caden staggered to his feet, pushing the door shut before limping back to his chair. A bottle of over-the-counter pain medication sat beside his monitor, and he shook out a couple of pills into his hand before swallowing them dry. The ache would remain for a good while, but regular doses of aspirin would help him manage the pain.

Finally, he picked up his headphones, settling them back over his ears.

"Sorry," he began, "I got distracted. What were-"

"Caden!" Steve interrupted, whirling about to face his camera. "What happened? I heard- there was-" he trailed off, but the concerned look in his eyes told him everything he needed to know. His microphone, of course, had still been on.

"My dad came in." Caden brushed it off. "I had to get rid of him."

"Got rid- it sounded more like you were the one being rid of!"

"It's not a big deal. Drop it." Steve stopped, but the worry in his eyes remained. His gaze flickered to the ground for the briefest of moments before lifting back up to his POV.

"You know," He said softly. "You and Herobrine are more alike than you think." Caden snorted, opening his mouth to give a snarky retort, but Steve cut him off. "You're both proud, and arrogant. You don't know how to ask for help. You'd rather ignore your pain than deal with it. Try to fix it.

"I'm sorry," Steve continued before the hacker could stop him. "For judging you harshly. I assumed- well, from what you did to us, I assumed you were cruel for the sake of being cruel. And maybe you were, to some extent, but now I know that you have your own pain you're trying to hide."

"I don't need to be psychoanalyzed." Caden's voice is harsher than he means to be. "Therapy's never done me any good."

"I don't know what that means. But…" Getting to his feet, Steve walked up to the camera, reaching out a hand and pressing it against- what looked like pressing it against the other side of the screen. "You're fighting your own battles, and I know that now. You hurt people because you were hurt. I can't say you're handling it too well, but at least I know there's a reason." Caden was silent, fingers gripping the arms of his office chair, for a good few moments. Then, slowly, he lifted one hand, pressing it against the screen where Stephan's hand was.

"Thanks." A dozen hateful retorts bubbled to his lips, but not a single one could force itself out. He'd been talked down to all his life, treated as a poster child for delinquency and poor life decisions since the time he became a teen. He was used to being patronized, but something in this- this _AI's _words was so genuine, so kind, he didn't know how to respond.

"That's why you took Herobrine, too, isn't it?" Though his hand didn't move, Steve's eyes dropped to the ground again, his small smile fading away. "He tormented the players, so you wanted to get back at him. A cycle of hurt."

Caden blinked as something he'd heard - no, _read_ \- came back to him.

_[uuuennj227]: sk20111 claims you're vulnerable to physical harm. Is that true?_

_[Herobrine]: Yes._

_[uuuennj227]: show us._

He'd doomed him to more hurt than he'd known.


	26. The Last Spark

***whispers* psst leave me reviews :3**

* * *

[FROM: ggggl05# RE:RE:RE:A small favor to ask]

[Body:

Persson,

I think I might've found what you're looking for. Have a look at this.

Cheers,

Red]

The file opened in a dark room.

It was obviously fake - the shapes too angular and sharp to be a physical place. Instead, it was a model, built to house a player or NPC.

Unlike the figure that lay curled up in the far corner.

The figure - male, tall - had an incredibly detailed avatar, each hair on his head moving independently as his body shuddered with each breath. One eye glowed with a faint light, the other was dim. Notch didn't have to watch any longer to know that this was Herobrine.

The lights in the room brightened, and Herobrine lifted his head, though defeat already read clearly on his bruised and marked face. _Oh Herobrine, what have they done to you?_

On the far side of the room, a light appeared over a doorway. Swaying, Herobrine pushed himself upright, making his way towards the door without protest. How long had he been there…?

The viewpoint switched as he crossed into the next room - some sort of maze. Without being prompted, Herobrine entered the new area, starting to try and find his way out.

As he watched, though, he witnessed his creation take a wrong turn - and immediately crumple with a small cry as his body spasmed from what appeared to be electricity. It was only then that Notch noticed a metal band around his neck.

Pressing a hand to the collar, Herobrine staggered upright once more, taking a different path. This time, he was not shocked, and so he continued.

Notch watched silently as the video continued in such a manner. He knew where it was going, of course - it was a demonstration of Herobrine's ability to learn, to problem-solve. Nothing more. But he kept watching, even as the ache on his chest intensified, perhaps just to punish himself for not getting to him already.

As Herobrine neared the end of the maze, body trembling slightly from exertion and pain, he came to an abrupt halt. Notch narrowed his eyes a bit, but didn't move as his creation reached up to the cuff around his neck and hooked a finger underneath it. Before he could be shocked again, he tore it off, tossing the crumpled metal aside and striding forward once more. Pressing a hand against the wall of the maze, Herobrine closed his eyes, and Notch felt a surge of hope well up in his heart as the room began to disintegrate into visible binary.

Then, he was gone. The room returned to normal, even the cuff still lay shattered in the corner. Herobrine had simply vanished.

The video ended.

[TO: ggggl05#hotmail .com RE:RE:RE:RE:A small favor to ask]

[Body:

That's precisely what I'm looking for. Do you have any more information on the source of this clip?

Persson]

[Message Sent!

[

[New Message

[FROM: sk20111# I Need your Help]


	27. Fixing It

**dont forget to leave review**

* * *

"Holy ****, what am I doing?" Caden pressed his hands to the sides of his head, staring down at his keyboard with wide eyes. "Notch is gonna _kill _me."

"He won't." Steve tried to reassure him, watching the marker for his POV from inside where his form was stored. "He'll owe you, won't he?"

"Ugh, but I _stole his stuff _in the first place." Caden pressed the heels of his hands into his eyelids, nervousness pricking at his skull. "Why am I doing this?" Steve didn't respond, so their conversation stopped on that note.

Not removing his hands from his face, Caden ran the message he had sent to Notch through his head one more time.

"_Notch,_

_You know me, we've met before. You weren't too pleased with my actions. I took something that belonged to you, and you were rightfully angry._

_I did it again. I wish I could take it back now, but that's no longer an option. If you're willing, I want you to help me fix it._

_sk20111"_

Short, and to the point. Hopefully Steve was right in that Notch would go easy on him, but he knew that some punishment was coming. He just wished Notch would respond already so that he wouldn't lose his nerve and delete the message.

A soft _bwoop_ played in his headphones, and he looked up to see a "new message!" notification just as it disappeared from his screen.

[Body:

Caden Petrov, isn't it? I do remember you.

I don't know what prompted this message, or how exactly you're involved in this situation, but if you can help me then I am willing to accept it.

Notch]

"Hoollllyyyyy…" The hacker blew out a breath, spinning around in his chair. "Notch replied. He doesn't… seem too mad."

"That's good!" Steve's voice was hopeful, and Caden pressed his forearm over his eyes. If anything, it made him even more worried. Notch was _furious _last time - one of the dead giveaways that his claim that Herobrine _wasn't even real_ was a lie. And then he'd already gotten him back. And now Steve was part of the equation too.

Oh boy.

* * *

"For some reason," Notch began, his voice barely over a growl. "I assumed you'd learned your lesson after last time. Evidently I was wrong."

"Can we save this conversation for later?" The teen's voice sounded tense even through the tinny filter of his microphone. "I know you're pissed, ****, I would be too. And you can chew me out after we get your- _Herobrine_ back."

"We had better succeed." Markus' tone didn't change, his dark eyes narrowed despite there being no way Caden could see him. "Otherwise, it is on your head."

"Okay, noted." The boy brushed him off. "Tell me what you know."

"An associate of mine found a video of where he's being held." Notch forwarded the message, and Caden fell silent as a soft chime travelled through his headset. "Said associate has yet to locate whoever posted it - assuming, even, that the person who posted it is the same one who-" His voice caught, and he scowled. "_Bought _him."

"Right." The teen's voice was soft. A moment later, a "No," followed it.

"What?"

"Not you. Steve wanted to see the vi-"

"He's there?" Notch interrupted. He had been informed not long beforehand that Stephanus had been caught up in the middle of this, and was apparently "safe" on Caden's computer. It hardly filled him with confidence. But… he was speaking with him?

"Yeah. His world is open right now."

"May I speak to him?"

"Uh, sure." A brief pause. "Let me- one second." A _thump_ from the end, then a couple moments of shuffling. Then, the ambient noise from the microphone cut out, replaced by silence.

"Hello?" A soft voice spoke.

"Stephanus?" The word came out in a rush of relief, and Notch pressed a hand to his chest. "Are you alright?"

"I'm- fine. Notch?" A note of awe rang out in the young man's voice, and Notch couldn't help but think back to the last time he had spoken with him. A long, long time ago.

"It's me."

"Can you- see me?"

"I can't. I can ask your _captor_ to show me."

"Caden's alright." To his surprise, the miner laughed, a breathless sound. "He's- I don't know what he's told you."

"Enough."

"Notch, that doesn't answer my question. I mean-" Steve cut off abruptly, and Markus noted his name being said in a manner similar to an expletive. "He's not a bad kid." He continued hurriedly. "Just messed up, I think."

"If you say so."

"Are you- you're going to get Herobrine back?"

"I'm going to try." Notch's voice lowered, but he smiled. So he had taken his advice. "It's good to hear your voice again."

"You have no idea how good it is to hear yours."


	28. Brave

"We found him."

Steve's head popped up from his book at the voice, looking around his house instinctively in search of the source. He was in the cabin he'd built - Caden had returned him to his new world after he'd healed up. Obviously, he found nothing, as Caden was outside the world.

"You did?" He responded numbly. "Where?"

"Hidden away quite securely." This time, it was Notch's voice that spoke. "On a russian server, though I have no idea if that is related to his captor's nationality." Steve blinked, not sure what he meant. "I can't see him, but I've found his code. I know he's in there."

"How are you going to get him out?"

"I don't know yet."

"I can get into the server, I know that." Caden cut in. "It would be simple enough. But taking something out is a whole other matter. He'd have to be isolated enough for me to lock onto. That's… something I can probably do over time, but if any info about the server changed I'd have to start all over again."

"What other options do we have?" Notch's voice was harsh, and Steve blinked as he set his book down beside him. While he was part of the conversation, he felt out of the loop.

"It's possible we could… buy him… back?" Caden mused. "But I don't have the money anymore, I've already spent-"

"Amazing how that doesn't shock me." Notch interrupted.

"For your _information_, I had to spend it so I wouldn't _die_." Caden spat back. "Food and water are essentials, although I can understand that that's something a _millionaire _might not worry about."

"I became a millionaire _honestly_, which is more than I will ever be able to say for-"

"Stop it." Steve broke in. "Please. We have better things to do." A long, pregnant pause.

"Of course." Notch responded at last. "What were you saying?"

"There's a _possibility_ we could buy him back." Caden repeated, his voice strained. "But at this point I doubt they would want to give him up. At a much higher price if at all."

"I'm going to try." Notch didn't hesitate. "Under a different name and from a new IP, of course. But, if it's possible to get him out of there immediately…" There was a certain heartbrokenness in his voice. "In the meantime, what other options are there?"

"It's… vaguely possible that we could physically locate them." Caden suggested. "By backtracing the IP of the connecting computers, then report them to the authorities. Herobrine is legally _your _property, so being in possession of stolen property would surely be grounds for..." He trailed off. Steve wasn't sure why until Notch replied, his voice flat,

"Yes, it would." Ah. "On that note, I think it's about time I took Stephanus back."

"I'm okay here." He hastened to say. "Focus on Herobrine."

"Fine."

"It's even possible that he might be able to break out himself." The hacker continued. "He's tried, we know that, it was in the video. If we could maybe communicate with him, and distract his captors long enough to keep them from cutting him off, he could get out."

"Maybe," Notch agreed, but he sounded less than convinced. "While he managed to temporarily break down his environment, we have no idea if he was anywhere near to getting out of the server."

"It's worth trying, isn't it? At least trying to get a direct link to him."

"Of course it is." Steve sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, just listening, turning over their words in his head as they went back and forth. He still hadn't seen the video they kept referencing, only heard a few details, but it was enough for him to know what Herobrine's situation was. He still had power, even given his position. Was it enough…?

"Could you put me in the server?" He spoke up. A stunned pause.

"I could-" Caden began, but Notch interrupted.

"No. Why? You'd only be captured as well."

"Maybe." Steve didn't look up from the ground, frowning with concentration. "But the important thing is to get a message to Herobrine, right? So he can break out? I can find him and let him know that you're coming."

"It's not worth risking your safety."

"It'll be fine." The miner protested. "You're going to get to him eventually, and even if I do get captured you'll be able to free me too."

"We don't know that! It could be impossible!" A jolt of alarm went through him, and Steve's head jerked up.

"You're not going to give up, are you?"

"Of course I'm not." Notch hastened to assure him. "Stephan, I just… don't want you to be subjected to the same horrors he's facing." Steve's mouth opened, then shut.

He couldn't very well argue. He didn't even know what Herobrine's state had been, he hadn't seen him since before he was sold off. If it was that bad…

"...that's why I want to go." He responded softly. "If he's- I want to be there. He's all alone. I'm his friend, I want to… try and help, even a little bit." Notch didn't respond. For a moment, all Steve heard was the ambient sounds of the world around him.

"Alright." His creator said at last.

"You're sure?" Caden asked, even as Steve's face split in a grin.

"If it's what he wants." Notch's voice was resigned. "My role as a creator isn't to force him to do whatever I want, is it?"

"I- right." Caden didn't sound particularly convinced, but didn't argue. "Alright. Let me make a backdoor inside."

* * *

**PROJECT 'SILENT SONGBIRD'**

**RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT**

**A Chronological Report of Testing done on Subject HB**

**8/23/19**

Subject was introduced to a series of logic puzzles and mazes. It solved them all, in a relatively timely manner.

**8/23/19**

Subject was pitted against a simple AI in a game of chess. Subject won the first game, and the second. However, in a third game, subject apparently lost the will to play, performing lazily and losing quickly. Subject was punished for the loss, and won a fourth game.

**8/25/19**

Subject was placed in a chamber with various writing implements and a computer, so that it had the option to communicate if it desired to do so. While it investigated all of the items in the room, ultimately it wrote nothing. Since it has documented evidence of speaking through text, we must assume it has nothing to say.

**8/26/19**

Subject was subjected to several forms of physical harm. These left marks consistent with those that would be left on a human, and subject showed severe discomfort, attempting to escape the chamber in which it was imprisoned. This implies that it feels physical pain as a human would.

**8/29/19**

Subject was heavily damaged and left alone to bleed to test whether or not the loss of blood affected it in a negative way. Subject lost over a gallon of blood over the next three days, but did not perish. Our current understanding is that the loss of blood has no effect on its health.

**9/1/19**

Subject was introduced to several common phobias. These included arachnophobia, acrophobia, aquaphobia, autophobia, claustrophobia, ophidiophobia, pyrophobia, wiccaphobia, and zoophobia. Subject did not react strongly to any of these, only took measures to try to protect itself when it deemed the situation dangerous enough to warrant doing so.

**9/3/19**

Subject was placed in a fire. The only effect it had on it seemed to improve its mood. it seemed more comfortable there.

**9/4/19**

Subject was restrained under water for fifteen consecutive minutes. While it did not perish from lack of air, the subject demonstrated what appeared to be fear, beginning to fight its bonds the moment it found itself underwater. As it did not react when faced with water in previous tests, our current understanding is that it was not the water, but the chains that caused this reaction. Henceforth, we have diagnosed the subject with merinthophobia.

**9/5/19**

Subject was set loose in a dark room with a monster hunting it. Subject was attacked by the monster, but successfully took control of it simply by touching its avatar. However, during further experimentation the subject refused to cooperate, lying still and letting the monsters come. User [REDACTED] has theorized that taking command of another AI severely saps the subject's energy, rendering it nearly immobile.

**9/6/19**

Subject broke free from its cell, making its way down a hall and into one of the testing chambers before being caught. A guard has been programmed to patrol the cell block, and the subject has yet to make another attempt to escape.

**9/7/19**

Subject's behavior changed as we presume it learned from its experiences here. It shows clear signs of learned caution, investigating everything it is faced with for signs of any kind of trap. Further testing should solidify our understanding of its ability to learn.

**9/9/19**

Subject was released into a maze with inadequate supervision and safeguards. HB took the opportunity to attempt to escape, influencing the environment in an attempt to slip free of the confines of the room. Subject was promptly transported back to its holding cell.

**9/10/19**

Subject spent 24 consecutive hours solving an array of randomly-generated puzzles. By the end, its completion time had decreased significantly.

**9/15/19**

Subject was shown an array of random images, from landscape photographs to drawings, all pulled from an artistic database. Subject showed no interest in any except a screenshot pulled from a pixel-art game. Subject spent the remainder of its time looking at this image.

**9/16/19**

Subject was exposed to various forms of music. Again, it showed no interest, even becoming visibly uncomfortable at the sound of the genres Classical and Heavy Metal.

**9/17/19**

User [REDACTED] spoke directly with the subject, attempting to coax it into holding a conversation. While it had the materials to write with and respond, subject HB chose not to, staying still and silent unless approached. At this point, it would retreat as much as possible.

**9/19/19**

Subject showed signs of being dangerously ill. It spent the majority of two days lying prone on the ground where it had been taken, regardless of the dangers plaguing the area. Subject has been moved back to a single room to rest.

**9/23/19**

Further information has revealed that the subject is not damaged, only refusing to cooperate. If sufficiently motivated, it will perform tasks as normal.

**9/28/19**

Subject has been kept awake for the past five days, being awoken by an automatic timer whenever it attempts to sleep. After three days of this, it has stopped falling asleep, staying awake around the clock instead. So far, it has not shown any signs of having a negative reaction to this treatment.


	29. Shock and Awe

A world loaded around him.

Steve blinked as harsh shapes and bright lights met his eyes, a corridor stretching out in front of him. The world was eerily silent, devoid of life and color.

Herobrine was here, somewhere.

He started down the hall.

* * *

He hurt.

The world spun before Herobrine's eyes, even though the cold stone pressed against his back assured him that he wasn't moving. Every breath he took was raspy, pained breaths echoing in his damaged lungs.

His eyes fluttered shut, but a whimper escaped him as he forced them back open. His body screamed for rest, for sleep, but every time he let his eyes close they would take him away again, thrust him into one of their sick games. The longer he stayed awake, the longer before the pain would start again.

He could hear footsteps making their way down the hall, metal crashing against stone with every step. His guard. Imposing in stature, Herobrine had no hope that he could beat it in a fight. Not in his condition, and even if that were possible he knew he could not get far.

This really was hopeless, wasn't it?

The door to his cell creaked open.

Instantly, he stiffened, breaths stilling as he reflexively squeezed his eyes shut. Not that it would help, his captors knew he was in here, but he couldn't help it anymore.

A footstep, then another. Some sort of creature? His captors rarely approached him physically. Herobrine let out a low growl - one of the only sounds he could make anymore, but the footsteps continued. He growled louder. A warning - or maybe just a plea.

_Leave me alone._

"Brine." A whisper rang out in the darkness, and he froze. His eyes flickered open, only for him to flinch away at the sight of a figure standing over him. "Hey- hey, it's me." The figure knelt beside him, and this time he didn't shrink away. The voice, he-

_Steve?_

"I'm gonna touch you, okay?" The man murmured, hands lifted in front of him. "Try to get you out of here. Notch is here, he's gonna help too, and that kid - well, I talked him into it. He's on our side now. Can you move at all?" Wide eyes staring up at his savior, he managed a single nod. It was… too real. "Okay. Here, let me-" Gentle hands were on his shoulders, then under his arms, pulling him up. Herobrine let him, staying still and silent as he was lifted into a sitting position.

"Oh Notch, you- oh Herobrine…" Steve's voice was scarcely over a whisper, but Herobrine could still hear the horror that rang out in it. Undoubtedly he had discovered the damage to his form. The miner's grip slackened, and Herobrine's hand shot out, grabbing his shoulder for balance - and to assure himself that he was _there._ Steve jumped at the unexpected contact, but Herobrine ignored it, fingers tightening on the fabric of his sleeve. He was solid. He was _real. _What was he- how was he here-?

He swayed, but caught himself before he pitched forward. "C'mon, let's get you upright." Steve tried, but Herobrine shook his head, reaching out with his other hand to steady himself against the miner's shoulder. "Please, Herobrine, we need to go. At least out of this room, so it won't be as easy for them to find-"

A tear slipped down his cheek, and Steve stopped.

Herobrine let his head drop, a second tear trailing from his blind eye as the smallest of whimpers escaped him. The pitiful sounds he was making shook him to his core, he never thought he would be this weak again. He felt another tear slip down his face, and he bowed his head as his body trembled uncontrollably. Why, why now? He had gone through so much pain, and hadn't shed a single tear. Why this, why…?

Steve wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close.

"_Don't touch me."_

A muffled yelp escaped him, and Herobrine stiffened as he prepared to fight back, but Steve murmured in his ear,

"I know, I'm sorry. I know." His hands were on his back, the warmth a stark contrast to the cold he had suffered for so long. Hesitantly, he relaxed, tears slipping down his face as he focused on the cell door behind them.

"_Stop."_

It was open. How did he even get here, this was - it was a server unlike anything he'd ever seen before, Notch must've- must've helped him, somehow. He was warm, he was so warm…

"_Let go."_

Herobrine wrapped his arms around Steve's neck and buried his face in his shoulder as he wept.

Broken sobs wracked his body, and tears flowed freely into the soft fabric of the miner's shirt. Steve was speaking, saying something, but he couldn't make it out through the sounds of his own anguish. The mortal's hands moved, and Herobrine stiffened, only to find them moving up and down, rubbing his back in a calming manner.

He had so many words he wanted to say, how he was scared and it hurt and they were going to get caught, how he was so sorry for everything he had done, that he needed to leave, _now,_ Steve _go please before you're trapped here just like me._ He couldn't voice them if he wanted to, his voice long muted, but that was probably a good thing. He was already showing enough weakness as it was.

"It's okay. We're gonna get out of here." Steve murmured in his ear, warm hands soothing the pain from weeks of damage done to his body. "Notch is stronger than them, so, so strong, he's gonna come for you."

_Just like you did. You came._

* * *

Steve pressed his hands against Herobrine's back, eyes shut tight as the broken demigod hid himself in his arms. He could feel raised welts and scars under the thin layer of fabric on his back, and felt each tremble that coursed through his body when he touched them. Though his heart ached upon realizing exactly _how much_ he had been hurt, for now he was just content to hold him tight. At least, at this very moment, he was safe.

Shifting, Steve leaned back a bit, pulling Herobrine closer as he pressed his cheek against his head. The weaker man's breath hitched, but he huddled closer, pressing cold hands against Steve's back. It was cold in here, and he'd lost a lot of blood. At least, that's what he assumed, if the wounds crisscrossing every inch of visible skin were any indication.

A footstep echoed down the hallway, and his eyes snapped open.

Immediately, Herobrine's stifled sobs went quiet. Steve tightened his arms around him, barely breathing as the footsteps continued to approach, heavy and mechanical. He found himself greatly regretting not closing the door, now. Making it obvious that something was wrong.

Herobrine's hands shifted, then reached up to press against his shoulders, pushing him away as he shook his head from side to side.

"No." Steve whispered. "Stay still. I'm not going anywhere." Another frantic shake of his head. "I said stay still. Brine, please."

The footsteps stopped in the entryway, and Steve turned to find a huge, hulking figure standing over him.

A hand grabbed him by the collar, and he let out a startled cry as he was yanked up off the ground and into the air, Herobrine slipping out of his grasp. He was lifted face-to-face with the figure, a huge, armored humanoid with no visible face through its helmet. He barely had time to close his gaping mouth before he was hurled into the far wall.

A choked yelp escaped him as he slammed into the hard surface, all the air forced from his lungs as he sank to the ground. Before he could even get his bearings, the hand was on his neck, snatching him up and shoving him back against the wall, and he found himself staring into a pair of dark, empty eyes.

Straining for breath, Steve grabbed at the limb that held him upright, airway not quite cut off. Behind the creature, Herobrine was stumbling upright, one hand braced on the wall as his body trembled. His lips moved, but no sound came out.

Finally, the figure let go, and Steve slumped to the ground with a gasp.

Herobrine was already scrambling to his side by the time he caught his breath, looking up just in time to see the golem slamming the door shut. Trapping them inside.

Herobrine caught his attention with a hand on his chin, tilting his head up to look him in the eyes. There was so much _concern _on his face, Steve couldn't help but wonder if he had somehow forgotten his own injuries.

"I'm okay." He whispered. When it did little to alleviate the fear on his friend's face, he threw his arms around him once more, and Herobrine startled before sinking into his embrace. Steve buried his face in his shoulder, the strain on his throat already forgotten.

"Notch told me to tell you-" He whispered hoarsely. "He's coming to get you. To get us." A quiet hum was all the response he got.

Neither of them moved for a long time.

* * *

**leave a review uwu**

**~FFF**


	30. Begin Again

**ok so. yall may have noticed that im not the best at replying to reviews, but. WOW you guys are! the best! yall are getting the same best feels out of this as I am and WOO**

**anyway here yeah, more updates**

* * *

Herobrine was asleep.

He'd fought it for a long time, for what reason Steve wasn't sure. Eventually, he'd passed out on his shoulder, body rattling with each breath that filled his lungs. Steve held as still as he could. He knew how easy he was to wake.

It had been about an hour since the golem had come, to his calculations, although it was very hard to keep track of time in the stillness of this world. That meant maybe two hours since he had arrived, it had taken another hour just to find Herobrine - and avoid the hulking monster that stalked the halls. Luckily for him, it didn't appear to be very observant. Kind of a bad trait for a guard to have.

Letting out a slow breath, he slipped an arm around Herobrine and hugged him to his chest. His counterpart didn't move except to let his head droop a bit more onto his shoulder, and Steve smiled. Hopefully Notch would come for them soon, and Herobrine could rest for a while longer.

He had told him about Notch's plan before he fell asleep - to break out when the moment arose. Herobrine didn't seem too convinced that it would work, but had agreed to try. He'd told him about the other plans, too, so he knew that one way or another they were getting out. The only question was when.

Lowering his head, Steve tucked his chin against Herobrine's forehead and closed his eyes. He may as well get some rest too.

* * *

**9/29/19**

A second entity has appeared in the subject's server. It immediately made its way to the subject and attempted to communicate with it, to which it gave a positive response. The second entity appeared to be trying to comfort the first via physical contact. Subject HB responded well to this.

The automated guard came across the second entity, and attacked, causing an outburst from subject HB. The subject attacked the guard and forced it to retreat, locking both inside. The second entity showed similar responses to the attacks as the first. Further testing must be completed to find out the extent of the similarities between them, as well as its origin.

* * *

"Plan A didn't work."

"That's what I thought." Caden sighed, resting his chin in his hand. "They're… not good people."

"Undoubtedly." Notch's voice was quiet, but not… malicious, for once. "Our next move?"

"Steve- we can assume Steve's found Herobrine. Or, at least, we can hope." The teen tugged at the ends of his hair. It was getting long again. "We need to find some way to signal them, create a passage back here for them to take. Or-" He mimed throwing out a line. "Try and hook them in, so to speak."

"Would that work?"

"I wish I knew." The line went silent. Caden tapped a key, then watched as a window began to fill out with strings of numbers and letters. On the other end, he could hear Notch typing too, but neither of them spoke. He wondered if he should end the call.

"Notch," He said at last. "I want- wanted to say sorry." A brief pause.

"I believe you have already."

"_Really _apologize." Caden continued, words tumbling out despite Notch's warning tone. "What I did- I didn't- understand. Not that that's any excuse, but I- I'm sorry." He finished lamely. Notch didn't respond for a few, long moments.

"It's not really me you need to apologize to, is it?" He finally replied, his voice rumbling through his headset.

"I guess not." Caden raked his fingers through his hair again, not sure what to say.

Neither of them spoke for a while.

* * *

Steve startled awake to bright lights in his face.

Bracing a hand on the ground, he shoved himself up, blinking as he examined his surroundings. He was in a white room, with a single exit on the far side. He was alone.

"Herobrine?" He called out, scrambling upright. No response. Even his own voice felt muted, as though spoken into heavy fabric. Turning around once more, he headed for the door, the only way out.

**[Solve the maze]**


	31. Cruel

When Herobrine awoke, it was cold and dark again.

Slowly, achingly, he lifted his head. His surroundings were different, but not… unfamiliar. Just a different room.

He was alone.

Steve had been here, he _knew _he had. That must have been the reason he had been moved - and was allowed to sleep. They had been distracted, perhaps by his arrival, and had-

...taken him away.

Cold fingers of fear gripped at his heart, and he curled around his chest. They would be curious. Want to study him. Subject him to the same cruel experiments that he had already suffered. He shouldn't have come- _why _was he here? How? Notch, he'd mentioned Notch. Said he was coming. Why did he send him-?

Bracing a hand on the floor, Herobrine began to push himself upright.

His body ached, protesting at the unfamiliar movement, but he pressed on. Exhaustion alone had every limb crying out for rest, and he almost slipped trying to get a foot underneath him. Lurching to his left, he managed to press a hand against the wall, using it as an anchor as he pulled himself to his feet. Amazing, he thought vaguely, what one could do under a certain amount of duress.

Lifting a foot, he took a heavy step towards the other side of the room, towards a doorway. Another step, then another, keeping a hand on the wall to keep him upright. Block by block, he made his way out of the room, finding himself in a long hallway.

He had to find his brother before they hurt him beyond repair.

_Like they did to me._

* * *

Steve took a step down the passage, only to let out a strangled yelp when a shock coursed through his body.

Grimacing, he reached up to rub at the piece of metal wrapped around his neck. He had woken up with it, and noticed it not long after he started the maze. His understanding so far was that it would give him a mild shock when he took the wrong path.

"You know," He called out. "This is kind of pointless for a conditioning exercise. I can understand if you were trying to force me into or out of a behavior, but I don't _know _the correct path. How can I 'obey' if I don't know how?" As usual, there was no response. He had never gotten a response, the closest thing to a communication being the order to pass through the maze. He kept talking, though. It made him feel like he had a bit more control over his situation.

Helped keep the cold flickers of fear that twisted his stomach at bay.

He ventured down a different path, and wasn't shocked, so he continued. The maze was fairly simple and linear, made out of interconnecting rectangles. It was the first time he had ever seen a maze, much less been in one, but it felt normal.

Coming to another fork, he ambled to the right, only for a sceam to rip itself from his throat as an awful, paralyzing pain swept through him.

There were tears in his eyes by the time he was able to move. He found himself on his hands and knees, a stinging sensation over his entire body and a shudder in each breath. Blinking at the tears, he drew in a shaky gasp, only to startle once more when text appeared in the corner of his vision.

[**Perhaps I have not made the point of this exercise clear.**]

[**But, if you find it to be too easy then I am certain I can assist.**]

"N-no." He gasped out, tongue numb in his mouth as he struggled to form words. "No, I- don't."

It took several minutes, but eventually the stinging and the burning faded, the tremors wracking his body dying down to a simple shudder. Staggering upright again, he stumbled back, taking the left path instead. Raising a hand, he pressed a hand to the iron collar. It was hot.

He came to another split. Halted. Pressed a hand to his neck as he debated his next choice.

His body exploding with pain once more was the last thing he felt before the world went black.

* * *

**10/1/19**

The second entity (henceforth referred to as Subject HB-V) was pitted against a simple maze, enduring a shock whenever it took the wrong path. Subject HB-V attempted to communicate with those controlling the test several times, asking questions verbally and making snide comments. After one of such comments, the voltage on its' shock collar was tripled. The second shock after the increase caused the subject to go unresponsive, falling into an unconscious state. An attempt to communicate has been scheduled for when the subject gains consciousness.

Subject HB has escaped its' chamber. While there were no safeguards in place to keep it from doing so, the subject has shown remarkable amounts of strength in exiting the room despite the damage it has endured. Subject HB will continue to be monitored without obstruction until further notice.


	32. Communicating

**time for another update spam!**

** some random kid YES I absolutely update in bursts, and I write very quickly when inspired by my fan club, whom I have dubbed the Conspiracy Theory Club. they are quite active so I write a lot**

* * *

The unnamed man sat, silent and still, in a stiff-backed chair, silhouetted by the harsh light of the computer screen he stared into.

On said screen was a small, 3D-modelled room, which housed a young man with tanned skin and a thin beard. He appeared to be sleeping, chin resting on his folded arms as he slumped in a corner. His collar was almost hidden with his head drooped, wavy hair obscuring his neck. The unnamed almost hated to wake him - he looked peaceful. Unfortunately, his timeline did not allow for sentiment.

He hit a key, and a tone sounded in the room, waking the subject up.

Subject HB-V lifted his head, blinking around the room as he pushed his hair out of his face. Assured that the subject was listening, the unnamed typed a message into the in-world chat.

[**Hello.**]

"Hello?" The subject responded. When an immediate response did not come, he stood, wobbling slightly on his feet. "Who are you?"

[**Simply an interested party.**]

"Well, what do you want?" Leaning back, the subject folded his arms over his chest, resting his head on the wall.

[**Just to ask you a few questions.**]

"I'll make you a deal." The subject offered. "I'll answer your questions if you answer mine. Deal?"

The unnamed shrugged.

[**I suppose.**]

"Where's Herobrine?"

[**In his holding chamber.**]

That was a lie. Subject HB was currently wandering the complex. But, that was a conversation that the unnamed doubted would be useful at the moment.

"And where am I?" The subject continued.

[**I could give you a room number, but I doubt it would have much meaning to you.**]

"I guess." The subject ran a hand through his hair, then looked up. "What's your name?"

[**That isn't important.**]

"You said you'd answer my questions."

[**Some information I am not allowed to divulge.**]

"Okay, fine. I'll give you a name, then." A pause, then. "Joseph." The unnamed almost laughed.

[**Alright then.**]

"It's nice to meet you - well, in a sense." The subject started to extend a hand, then seemed to remember that the man he spoke with wasn't in the room with him. "I'm Stephanus. That's a mouthful, so people call me Steve."

**[A pleasure to meet you as well.]**

**[Do you have any more questions?]**

"Not at the moment."

**[Alright. How have you been enjoying your stay?]**

"I- haven't?" Ste- the subject quirked a brow. "I've been strangled half to death and nearly electrocuted at least twice. I'm starting to think you all have nothing better to do than poke and prod at me."

**[What do you think our goal is?]**

"I think you see me as some kind of animal." Was the subject's bitter response. "At least, if what you've done to Herobrine is any indication. You want to study me, I guess."

**[That isn't far from the truth.]**

"What is the truth?"

**[I can't tell you that.]**

"Could've figured that on my own." Letting out a breath, Steve sank to the ground, legs crossed in front of him.

**[Where do you come from?]**

"Sorry, I'm not allowed to divulge that information." Was the subject's snide response. The unnamed only smiled.

**[Fair enough. Do you and "Herobrine" come from the same place?] **The subject didn't answer for a moment, studying the walls of his prison, before responding with a slow,

"Yes." He was reluctant to release information about himself, but it was a step up from the silent and reclusive subject HB.

**[Are you two connected? A set? Twins?]**

"You could say that?" Steve raked a hand through his hair again. "I'm not… actually quite sure what our connection is."

**[But you are friends.]**

"Yeah." A small smile lit up the subject's face. "We're friends."

His time was almost up.

**[Thank you for cooperating with me. I hope to see you again soon.]**

"Right, right." Steve looked preoccupied, but nodded. "Goodbye, Joseph."

With that, the unnamed man signed off, just in time to miss it when the subject's room door swung open.

* * *

He'd heard voices, and made his way towards the source. A door had stood in his way, and it had been locked, then all of a sudden it wasn't and he nearly stumbled as the door opened wide.

"Herobrine!" He only caught the barest glimpse of his twin before strong arms had wrapped around him, and his legs went slack entirely against his will. Throwing his arms around Steve's neck, he pressed his face against his shoulder, trying to regain his footing.

After a moment, his meager strength returned to him, and he pushed Steve away to investigate him for injuries. Keeping one hand braced on his shoulder, he scanned his body with his working eye, only to stop short at the sight of the band wrapped around his neck.

"Yeah." Steve spoke, his voice quiet as he followed his gaze. "Now we match, huh?" A small grin lit up his face, and Herobrine couldn't stop the faintest of smiles from twitching at his lips.

_He has no idea of what danger he's in._

Letting out a low growl, Herobrine backed up a step, reaching back to press his palm against the wall. He needed to be able to speak to him, at _least_ warn him. But Steve was far from a simple AI that he could influence, and he couldn't seem to access the chat that his captors used. Short of the materials he had been provided in the past, he had no way to communicate.

When he looked up again, Steve was a step closer, one hand half-extended in his direction. His face was concerned.

"They told me you were locked up." The miner spoke, realizing he had his brother's attention. "How did you get here?" Herobrine frowned. His captors had spoken with him?

Unsure of how to respond, he simply gestured to the door. "You escaped?" Was Steve's first guess, and he nodded. More or less.

"Well, it's hardly safer here, but…" He stepped away from the door, beckoning Herobrine with him. "At least we're safe, for now."

'_For now' being the operative words._

Hesitantly, Herobrine took a step after him, away from his support, as he tried to work out some way to communicate. The room was completely bare, lacking anything he could make a mark with. Hypothetically, he could write with his own blood, but he doubted that would do more than frighten the man he was trying to help.

Steve sat down near the center of the room, and Herobrine limped closer before following suit. The miner slung an arm around his shoulders, and he allowed his head to drop down to press against his. The feeling of a warm body against his was unfamiliar, sending prickles down his spine, but not in an uncomfortable way. At least, not uncomfortable enough for him to pull away.

"Notch _is _coming." Steve reminded him softly. "I know he is. And we're gonna be okay until then."

"N-o."

He didn't even realize he was trying to speak until he heard his own voice, echoing in the corners of the empty room. Steve was staring, he was staring back, startled by the sound of his voice, _his_ voice, not the one he had stolen.

"No." He repeated. His voice was scratchy and rapsy, due to _literal years_ of disuse, but it _worked, _somehow. "'S not s-safe here. You don't kn-know what they plan for y-you."

"Neither do you. You sound _different._" Steve's face was almost more concerned.

"This w-was my first voice." His throat was starting to sting from the strain. "Do _anything _you can, get away f-from them. They will _hurt you._"

"They have. It's okay, I promise. I can handle it."

"You should not _have _to." With that, his voice gave out, and though he tried he couldn't make a single sound. Noticing his struggles, Steve wrapped his arms around him again, pulling him to his chest, and Herobrine didn't hesitate before hugging him back.

At least like this, with his brother tucked in his arms, he could imagine that he might be able to keep him safe.


	33. Suffocating

**10/3/19**

Unlike Subject HB, Subject HB-V seemed eager to communicate, and user JX277 successfully had a full conversation with it. The subject introduced itself by the name "Stephanus", or "Steve", which some believe ties in with where we suspect Subject HB's origin to be. Subject HB-V expressed curiosity about the researcher and its environment, but said little else. The researcher described its demeanor as "friendly, but guarded".

JX277 continued to observe as Subject HB found its way to the chamber its counterpart was in, breaking through the locked door to get inside. They reunited with great enthusiasm, and spent the next hour or so sitting on the floor together. Nothing noteworthy occurred during this time, and HB was eventually returned to its room.

**10/4/19**

In order to compare Subject HB-V's reaction to Subject HB, the former was shown the same array of images as its counterpart. Unlike HB, HB-V showed great interest in each image, moving through and examining each one in turn.

HB-V was also pitted against the same AI in a game of chess. It showed no signs of knowing how to play, examining the pieces but not playing the game. Mild reinforcement caused no difference in its actions.

**10/5/19**

Subject HB-V was isolated in a holding chamber for 24 hours. Near the beginning, it began to speak aloud, presumably to those observing, requesting food and water. Such was not provided, and the subject appeared to weaken over the duration of the test, eventually curling up in a corner and ceasing to move altogether. A representation of food and water was provided for it once the duration of the test had been completed.

So far, our research has shown that Subject HB-V seems to be a far more accurate representation of a standard human male. It remains to be seen whether or not it has the durability of its predecessor, but researchers have been advised to be cautious of the risk of destroying it by mistake.

* * *

He'd been moved again.

Steve tapped his foot, more from anxiety than impatience, as he gazed around the small room. It was maybe two blocks by two blocks, barely enough room for him to take a step. There was no door, either, and he was starting to feel a bit claustrophobic.

Herobrine had disappeared, been taken away when they were both sleeping. He clung to the hope that they were leaving him be, now that they had another toy to play with. The odds seemed to be in his favor, since, at the very least, Herobrine hadn't seemed to be injured worse when he found him a couple of days ago.

Steve fiddled with his collar, trying to keep his mind off his situation. The shock collar became more and more uncomfortable every day. He wondered if it was getting tighter, or maybe he was just getting more paranoid. Either way, he was growing to hate it, even when he wasn't being electrocuted.

"Is anyone listening?" He spoke aloud, his hand not straying from his neck. Though, after the initial attack, he hadn't been shocked for speaking up, the worry nagged at his mind every time he spoke. "Why am I in here? Is this 'round two' of isolation?" As usual, he got no response. Ever since his conversation with 'Joseph', his captors had been silent. He was starting to worry, a little bit, that maybe he'd told them everything they needed to know.

He hoped he hadn't. If they figured they were done with him, they would go back to tormenting Herobrine.

Tapping his fingers on his arm, he glanced around the room once more. He was starting to feel a little off, almost sick. He hoped it was just a response to not having been able to speak to anyone for what must've been a couple days.

The floor disappeared underneath him, and the next thing he knew he was completely submerged in water.

He cried out, then tried to gasp for air, mind not quite registering yet that _there's no air. I'm drowning. _His hands grasped for freedom, reaching up above his head, but he was yanked down by a firm grip that held him by both his ankles.. He was trapped. _He was trapped._

Choking on the heavy liquid in his lungs, Steve blinked around at his surroundings, last instinct fighting to find some _escape_, but there was no escape. He was surrounded by light, and white, and _water._ Fingers grasping at the neck of his shirt, Steve kept struggling, trying to free himself from his restraints until his entire world went black.

* * *

When Herobrine awoke, it was to an awful feeling in the pit of his stomach.

His next clue was the darkness, broken only by the weak light from his eye. Except for the rare occasions in which he was intentionally impeded by darkness, there were always lights. Blinding, burning lights, illuminating every inch of him for the watching eyes to see. Now, though, it was dark. Unless this was another test, something was wrong.

Reaching out one aching limb, he dragged his fingers across the wall. From what he could understand, he was still in his prison cell. There was no growling, no voices, no shocks.

If the eyes were not on him, then where were they?

Bracing bruised fingers against the wall, he shifted his other arm underneath him, pushing himself up. An increasing ache was building in his chest, but it seemed somehow detached from any of his numerous injuries. Blinking in the darkness, he managed to get a knee underneath him, rocking upright and searching the room. There was nothing visibly out of the ordinary, but the feeling of apprehension remained.

Something was happening, but it wasn't to him.

Head snapping from side to side, he searched the room, but it contained no door. He could _feel_ Stephan's signal, even from past the smooth walls, and he refused to let them stand in his way. Hesitantly at first, then firmly, he reached out and pressed a hand against the wall, fingers ever-so-slowly curling into a fist. Binary began to emerge from the solid surface, then it was no longer solid, just a writhing mass of ones and zeros. Without hesitation, he stepped through.

He was outside now, in the hallway. He could still feel his brother's signal, but the awful pressure in his chest continued to grow. Rather than turning down the hall, trying to find his way through the maze of chambers, he stepped straight forward, dissolving the next wall into binary and continuing through the black abyss between empty rooms.

Somehow, he almost couldn't feel the aches in his body, not anymore. The pain in his chest outshone them all. His feet were moving quickly, silently in the empty space between renders, each barrier before him falling away in his path. He wasn't sure if they just hadn't noticed him yet, or were intentionally letting him roam, but he had met no resistance from his captors. At this point, though, they couldn't stop him if they tried.

And then he had arrived, and he had found the source of the pain.

Bright, sterile light illuminated a glass tank in the center of the room that was filled to the brim with water. Suspended in the middle was a limp body, ankles locked to the bottom by chains as lifeless hands reached out for air. Eyes flickering from beneath half-closed lids was his only clue that he might be still alive.

And then the glass was shattering under his fingertips, water rushing over him as Steve's limp body slammed into his form. Shards of glass bit into his skin as he held the younger man up, chains disintegrating where they clung to his ankles as Herobrine stumbled back. Sinking to his knees, he dragged his brother into his embrace, slamming a fist into the center of his back in an attempt to force the water out of his lungs. Once, then twice.

On his third try, Stephan's body began to convulse with hacking coughs, water spilling from his mouth and onto the cold floor. His chest rose, then fell, then rose again, his lungs filling with precious oxygen as Herobrine hugged him tighter with shaking arms. He was alive. He was alright.

Trembling fingers lifted to his shoulders, weak hands gripping at the hems of his sleeves. Each breath was shallow, almost faint, and a sound came from his mouth that _almost _sounded like speech. One hand made its way around his neck, and he returned the hug, burying his eyes in his shoulder.

"I know." Herobrine ground out, gaze lifting up towards the invisible sources of the blinding light. "You're watching." The observers gave no response, but that was well enough of an answer. "You… _cannot_ do to him what you've done to me. He is _not_ like me. You'll _kill _him." For a moment, there was no reply, nothing but the quiet gasps from the man hidden in his arms.

And then there was a click in the chat.

**[Will you take his place?]**

Herobrine blinked. It had been a long time since they spoke with him. "Yes."

**[Then get up.] **

He obeyed, amid Steve's mumbled protests as he lowered him to the floor. The tank reset, glass and water disappearing and returning to the enclosure. Placing a hand on the wall of the tank, Herobrine opened it into binary, stepping through and into the heavy liquid. He held his breath as the shackles clicked around his ankles, and caught a glimpse of Stephan's wide, blue eyes through the churning water.

And then he started to drown.


	34. Reflecting

It was dark again.

The fog around his mind receded for a moment, and he blinked up into the blackness. He could see color, blue, illuminated by the flicker of light from his gaze. so he was awake. Probably, at least.

His chest _ached_, his throat burned, but he could breathe, at least. Stephan had passed out only a minute or so into his torment, to his relief. The sheer horror in his eyes was almost worse than seeing him in the tank, chained to the bottom as he grasped unconsciously for air.

He wasn't sure how long it had gone on, or how long it had been since they stopped, but it hadn't been as long as the last time, at least. Or, maybe his body had grown more used to it. Whatever the case, he didn't hurt as much as the last time.

He hadn't been able to black out while he was drowning, but as soon as he could breathe again his body gave him little time before shutting down. He was still damp, now, so it couldn't have been too long ago. Steve was asleep next to him, arms pressed against his stomach as he curled around himself.. His breaths were shallow, and rapid despite his deep sleep, but he seemed fairly unharmed. Physically, at least.

His heart thumped dully in his chest. They would have killed him.

Pushing himself up, he braced a palm on the floor, painstakingly making his way onto his knees. Carefully, he began to examine his cellmate, searching for any other prominent injuries that he may have sustained since he last saw him. His skin was unmarked, except for a couple of light bruises - and the reddened skin around his collar. Herobrine took it off. It was becoming easier and easier to manipulate the physical things around him, although he didn't really know if it was new or just his motivation to move and _live _returning. Fingers barely brushing the metal, he let the surface disintegrate under his touch, leaving Stephan to breathe a bit easier.

He left his own collar alone.

Steve shifted under him, and he froze, hoping he hadn't woken him. He wasn't sure how long he had been able to rest, but if his treatment had been anything similar to his he would need all the sleep he could get. Hesitantly, he shuffled back, giving him a bit of space, but the slight noise only seemed to rouse him further. Giving up, he dropped back onto one arm, watching as his brother's blue eyes fluttered open. It would be good to talk to him, to see if there seemed to be any lasting damage.

He didn't want to talk about what had happened, though, just yet.

"Brine." Steve spoke, quietly.

"Steve." Herobrine responded in turn. The miner lifted one hand to his hair, then pulled it away, looking down at his hand. Damp.

When he lifted his head again, tears were spilling from his eyes and down his face.

He was in his arms as soon as Herobrine could struggle back up, throwing his arms around him and pulling him into his chest. Stephan wrapped his arms around his neck, pressing his face into his shoulder as he sobbed. A couple of disjointed words made it out of his mouth, but any more attempts to communicate fell flat as each cry wracked his body.

Herobrine held him tightly, one hand on his back and the other on the back of his neck, as he mumbled something in his ear. Dimly, he realized that he was speaking in swedish - which, as far as he knew, Steve didn't speak, but he hoped the meaning would get across.

Stephan barely reacted to him, movements or words, just crying into his shoulder until he ran out of tears to cry. Eventually, _eventually, _his sobs died off, a light hiccup escaping his body from time to time instead.

And then the apologies started coming.

"S-sorry, I'm sorry…" He whispered, fingers clutching at the fabric of Herobrine's shirt. "Mmsorry, thought I could _help._ I made it _worse._"

"Stop." Herobrine cut him off, and the word escaped his pained throat with a growl. Steve didn't stop.

"I thought I 's strong en-nough, o-only reason Notch let me come, but I'm _not _strong enough, _Notch _no 'm not…"

"Please stop." The plea caught him off guard, and Stephan's next words caught in his throat, breath seizing as he hesitated in the quiet. "You… are not at fault. _Please _don't apologize."

"Nnh-" The miner tried, but Herobrine pressed a hand to the back of his head, hugging him against his shouder. Unwilling to struggle, Steve gave up, leftover shudders making their way through his form as he let his head droop onto the elder's shoulder.

"There are many who are at fault here." Herobrine murmured, choosing each word carefully as every one was more painful than the last. "The people… who are doing this. They're the ones hurting us. The man who captured us in the first place, who sold-" His voice caught, and he hesitated a moment to recover. "Sold me to them. I-"

"Caden." He was interrupted by the name, mumbled into his shoulder, and he glanced down at his brother's head of scruffy hair. "The- the one who took us i-is a kid. Caden's his name. Scared kid. Did things he regretted. He got Notch and told him what happened." There was a moment of stillness as Herobrine processed this, then he finally drew another breath.

"Notch… at fault. Sent you here." This triggered another round of stammering to go off in his arms, Stephan halfheartedly trying to push him off to defend his creator. "And I'm at fault." He finished, cutting off Steve's words entirely. "I befriended you. Wouldn't have... got hurt."

"No! No, that's- you still-"

"Stop." It was less of an order than a plea, and Stephan caught onto the change of tone. "Can't talk." His voice had dwindled to a whisper, and now it was all but gone. The only remaining sound in the silence of the cell was their breaths, almost in harmony as they took comfort in each others' presence.

"You're…" He whispered, straining against the burning pain that had ignited in the back of his throat. "The only… innocent." Steve didn't respond, just rested his chin on his shoulder and shut his eyes against their waking nightmare.

Herobrine was asleep again.

Steve lay curled up on his side, head pillowed on his cellmate's stomach as he carefully timed each breath. Seven seconds in, hold for four, seven seconds out. He wasn't sure where he had learned this, probably from a villager, but he was pretty sure it was supposed to calm him down.

All it did was remind him how fleeting each breath really was.

It hadn't been so real, the first time. The first time he had been drifting under a haze of pain, half-dead by the time he found himself under the water. This time, though, _this_ time he had been at full health. He had been forced to watch each bubble of air escape his lungs and disappear, chained to the bottom of the tank with no way out.

He remembered how long he had struggled - 58 seconds - how the first gulp of water instead of air felt in his lungs, _cold _and _alien _and how it felt like hands around his throat. He remembered tears springing to his eyes as the blackness began to crowd out the lights, immediately whisked away into the water before everything became nothing.

And then he remembered being sopping wet, and _cold_, and Herobrine was lowering him to the ground and walking towards the water.

Forgetting his breathing, Steve drew a shaky breath and blew it out. It was awful. It was the worst thing he had ever experienced, and the strain on his lungs still haunted him. The realization of his hair being wet had sent the memories crashing back down atop him, prompting his previous breakdown. Even now, even though he was mostly dry, the darkness that pressed around him felt too much like the water for comfort.

And Herobrine had willingly walked into it.

He hadn't seen the text in the chat until Herobrine had locked himself inside, bubbles escaping his mouth as he cast one glance at him on the ground. There was fear in his blank eyes, but there was relief, too. He absently wondered when he had learned to read him so well.

He'd done it to protect him, that much was clear. His words were still a patchy memory, but the phrase 'You'll _kill_ him!' stood out from the rest.

Funny how that was once his goal.

The stark realization made him pause. He used to be _afraid _of Herobrine. Used to _hate _him. He could still remember the twisted grin as he caught him up by the neck, hurling him into a tree and slamming a foot into the arrowhead buried in his side. But, those memories were so much weaker than they once were, no longer instilled the same fear. At least, not towards Herobrine.

Because the Herobrine who hurt him was not the same Herobrine that lay curled beside him, was he?

The Herobrine who hurt him had rough hands, blazing eyes, a crazed laugh and _fire._ This Herobrine had careful, hesitant hands, one eye that flickered with just enough light to illuminate his sleeping face, whispers that came from another voice, and _warmth._

It _was _the same Herobrine - the same body. The same mind. But the person was someone else. It wasn't Brian, but he wasn't sure it was Herobrine either.

How odd that the person who once caused him so much fear should be the only one with whom he could now feel safe.

**10/7/19**

Subject HB-V was locked in a tank full of water for roughly two minutes. The moment it entered the water, Subject HB began to move, breaking forcefully out of its cell by tearing apart the render and moving straight to its counterpart. For this reason, the experiment was not aborted when HB-V began to lose life signs, as observers chose to see what would transpire instead.

When Subject HB arrived, it immediately shattered the glass and forced the water out of HB-V's body, successfully resuscitating him. As HB-V regained consciousness, HB began to speak verbally, which has been recorded for study. This has been the first example we have of Subject HB making any attempt to communicate with those outside the world.

An exact transcript of the subject's words are as followed.

[I know you're watching. You cannot do to him what you've done to me. He is not like me. You'll kill him.]

An observer then asked if HB would be willing to take HB-V's place inside the tank. It agreed and locked itself inside the tank. It stayed with no attempts to escape for around three minutes, at which point an observer declared he had seen enough and aborted the test, sending both subjects to an empty room.

A bond exists between HB and HB-V. It has been theorized that HB-V is some sort of offshoot or separate consciousness, of which the original needs to survive, prompting it to protect it at all costs. Others have suggested that the bond is personal, familial.

Further testing may reveal the degree to which they are connected.


	35. Study

**I FINSIHED SCHOOL**

* * *

When Steve awoke, it was dark and cold.

Shifting, he pushed himself upright, only to smack his head against the low ceiling. Grimacing, he reached out, trying to discover the confines of his prison. He seemed to be trapped in a small box, not wide enough for him to stretch out nor deep enough to sit up. He was forced to lie in a hunched ball, which his aching muscles immediately took as an opportunity to complain.

Letting out a low groan, the miner squeezed his eyes shut as he hugged both arms to his chest. He hoped they would let him out soon. While he wasn't overly claustrophobic, the feeling of being completely walled in was not a comfortable one.

He was glad it was him here, though, instead of Herobrine. Something told him he wouldn't take it as well.

Stephan was bait.

Herobrine stood in the doorway to the maze, stance lopsided as he studied the room before him. It was no different than any other maze, at least, from what he could tell, but he could feel his brother's presence clearly from across the space before him. They had tired of controlling him via the stick, then, and were giving the carrot a try.

Unsteadily, he took a step forward. Steve didn't seem to be hurt, evidenced by the lack of pressure in his chest, but he may not remain that way for long. Slowly, he entered the maze, throat constricting in apprehension of the pain that was sure to follow.

* * *

**10/9/19**

Subject HB-V was removed from its holding cell and trapped in a small, enclosed chamber. Subject HB was then released, and made a beeline for its counterpart, again, despite having no visual cues as to its location. From this we can presume that the two are inherently connected.

The pair were then placed at opposite ends of a maze, one that contained no reinforcing triggers. While HB made its' way towards its counterpart in as straight a line as it could manage, HB-V only wandered aimlessly for a few minutes before halting altogether and sitting down to wait. Despite its collar having been removed by subject HB, it still frequently touched the area where the restraint had been, primarily before attempting to move down a new tunnel. Eventually, the pair was reunited. Given that there was no clear way to exit the room, they simply stopped and waited for something new to happen. A selection of monsters were then released into the maze with them, which were immediately detected by HB. The subject took precautions to lead itself and HB-V to a safer location, passing through a wall and into another chamber. The pair was then placed back in a holding cell for the remainder of the day.

**10/10/19**

Subjects HB and HB-V were left to their own devices for a full day, simply observed in their room. Primarily, both subjects spent the day resting, but spent time in conversation as well. A transcript of their conversation has been provided via the efforts of user HH34, who had been observing the pair at the time.

[HB: Hey. You're okay.]

[HB-V: Mmph.]

[A short period of silence.]

[HB-V: I'm glad I came here.]

[HB: You should not be!]

[HB-V: I am anyway. At least you're not alone anymore.]

[HB: I would greatly prefer being alone to you being subject to these horrors as well.]

[HB-V: But then you wouldn't know help was coming.]

[HB: What difference does it make?]

[HB-V: If I hadn't come, would you have known Notch was coming?]

[HB: Again, what difference does it make?]

[HB-V: You wouldn't have hope.]

[A pause.]

[HB: Hope is not worth you getting hurt. I am not worth you getting hurt.]

[HB-V: Of course you're worth it. You're priceless to me.]

The conversation ended there. Research is being done to find the individual known as "Notch".

**10/11/19**

Subjects HB and HB-V have been released into a large, empty chamber along with several monster-type creatures. It remains to be seen how HB-V will handle this.

* * *

Steve let out a rather unmanly yelp as the wolf-like creature launched itself at his head - only to watch as it slammed into the invisible barrier between them.

"It's alright," Herobrine said from beside him, but the words came out in a low growl and he wasn't sure he should feel comforted or not. Six of the beasts circled the shield that his elder had created, yellow eyes locked on the pair of them inside. Herobrine was stiff, holding out both arms in a physical representation of keeping them safe.

They had been in here for about twenty minutes now. The room they had been in had simply disappeared, and they found themselves here. The monsters had appeared shortly afterwards, penning them into the middle of the room, and Herobrine conjured up some sort of shield to keep them away.

At the beginning he seemed to be able to do it with relative ease, but as time went on his body grew more and more exhausted from the strain. There was a door at the far end of the room, and it looked to be an escape, but to get out they would have to get past the creatures alive.

Steve cast another glance at Herobrine. There was a faraway look in his eyes, obviously deep in thought, but he held the barrier firm to keep the monsters out. Probably trying to think of what to do when his strength finally gave out. Would their captors let them be killed? Injured, definitely. Maimed, probably. But would they kill them?

At this point, would that be better?

A swift shake of his head broke him from his depressing thoughts. Absolutely not, not when Notch was coming. He had to keep going so he could bring Herobrine back.

A soft buzzing caught his attention, and he spun to find one of the wolves forcing its way through the barrier with a shower of blinding sparks.

"Herobrine." He hissed, and the elder lifted his head, glancing over his shoulder. He clenched his hands into fists, but the wolf continued to approach, struggling through the invisible barrier as though moving thought heavy sand. Taking the hint, the rest of the creatures followed suit, scratching and biting at Herobrine's shield.

The next moment, a loud _snap_ filled the air, and the wolves shot forward as the shield vanished.

Steve could only manage a stifled cry before he was thrown onto his back on the floor, a salivating creature perched on his chest with its teeth on his throat. Throwing up a forearm, he shoved at the creature's chin, trying to get it away. _Where's Herobrine?_ was his first, panicked thought, until the rational part of his brain reminded him that if he had one wolf, Herobrine was probably taking on the other five.

And then the creature stopped, and its eyes turned white.

Struggling out from underneath the huge creature, Steve looked up to find Herorine standing over him, gazing down at the beasts that laid on the ground around him. Each one had glowing, white eyes, and none seemed particularly interested in hurting them any longer. A huge breath escaped from his chest as the miner struggled upright, watching as Herobrine turned for the door on the other side of the room and beckoned him behind.

The demigod took one step, then collapsed with a soft _thump_.

"Hey, hey!" Steve scrambled to his side, slipping a hand under his arm as he struggled dazedly to stand. His only response was a quiet mumble, and he wrapped an arm around his back, hauling him to his feet.

"Stop." Herobrine murmured, dragging as feet as the miner tried to tug him forwards. "Need to get clear. 'M slowing you down."

"Shh." The warrior gave up, trying to walk as best he could as Steve hauled him towards the doorway. A growl from one of the creatures spooked him, and he shuddered, but didn't stop as Herobrine's arm slipped around his shoulders for support.

They made it into the hall.


	36. Rebirth

**[Solve the puzzle.]**

The "puzzle" in front of him appeared to be some sort of elaborate code. It consisted of three wheels, with eight different symbols on each, and a line on the top that he was intended to match them to. Beside this contraption was a button, likely to open the door it stood adjacent to. His assumption of the puzzle was that he had to get the right symbol facing up on each wheel in order to push the button and open the door, clearing the way between him and his prize.

His prize was, of course, his brother.

He could see Stephan through a glass window, watching as he fiddled with the new collar that had been fitted around his neck. He was hunched inside a glass tube, knees pressed up to his chest as he watched him try to solve the puzzle to free him. Did he know what was happening? Could he hear? Or did all he know was that he was just on the other side of the window, unable to get to him?

Spinning around, Herobrine walked away, beginning to scour the room for clues. There must be _some_ sort of clue, something to help him solve this.

Unless it was only a lesson in futility, like so many others had been.

* * *

Herobrine turned the dials, then pressed a button, only for Steve to let out a pained yelp as electricity shot through his body once again.

Herobrine's head whipped around as the miner doubled over, pressing both hands to the band around his neck. The shock increased with every press of the button. Wincing Steve lifted his head again to catch his friend's eye, and gave him a pained smile. Turning away, Herobrine only returned to his task, grim determination set anew in his eyes.

It had been about half an hour since he had woken up in the cramped tube, barely able to move with a brand-new shock collar wrapped around his neck. He could only watch as Herobrine tried to complete the task he had been given, which had slowed down considerably when he had pressed the button for the first time and been forced to listen to him scream.

Herobrine couldn't guess, that was impossible, there were nearly… there were 512 different combinations. He continued to search around the room, looking for anything that might be able to help him, while Steve could only sit and wait for the next shock.

As Herobrine scoured the large room, the miner's thoughts strayed back to the previous day. They had been left alone for a long time, probably at least a day, and had just spent most of it huddled up in a corner together. The part that stuck out to him the most, though, was Herobrine's reaction to his attempt to be comforting.

"_Hope is not worth you getting hurt. I am not worth you getting hurt."_

"_Of course you are. You're priceless to me." To his dismay, his only response was a confused glance shot down at him. Instead of answering, Herobrine simply sighed, pulling him closer and pressing his head against the elder's chest. Steve had opened his mouth, trying to continue, but a hand pressed over his face and he shut it again._

He had been trying to cheer him up, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. He should ask about that, or, at least, try to make it better, the next time they got a minute alone.

Another shock lurched him back to the present, and he gritted his teeth, bending over his hunched knees. He didn't even look up this time. Trying to avoid seeing the pain on Brine's face.

Instead, he let his head rest on his folded arms, closing his eyes against the white, glaring lights, as he mumbled pleas to anyone that could hear him.

"_Please, _

_Get me out of here._"

* * *

There was no pattern.

The room wasn't empty, far from it, images and shapes lined up along the walls and piled in the corners, but none of it could tell him how to get to Stephan. He had tried every combination, every formula, every trick he knew, but each attempt only hurt his brother worse.

Herobrine thumped a hand against the console the puzzle sat on with frustration, glaring down at the dials as if they taunted him. The symbols were vaguely familiar - the Galactic Standard Alphabet - but that didn't help him decipher their meaning any further. For all he knew, there _was_ no answer, and this was just a test to see how far he would be willing to go to get to his little brother.

Turning around, his gaze settled on Stephan's form, curled up and trembling in the glass cage he was imprisoned in. There was always more than one way to solve a puzzle.

Steve's head jerked up as the sound of glass shattering startled him from his daze, eyes widening as Herobrine stepped through the newly-opened window that had stood between them. Approaching the tube, he placed a hand against it, mindful of the prisoner inside and choosing to delete it altogether rather than break it atop him. As the barrier vanished with a small _vrp_, he extended a hand to his younger brother, dragging him upright and out of his prison. Stephan stumbled as he rose to his feet, tripping into Herobrine's arms, and the elder didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around him to hold him upright.

A click came from the chat.

**[The object was for you to solve the puzzle. You failed.]**

And then Stephan was _screaming, _hands clutching at his back and nails scraping his skin. Herobrine could feel electricity shooting through him from the contact, but it was heavily dulled due to the first buffer it had gone through. Clutching him tight, Herobrine staggered back a step as his load suddenly doubled, and he thundered,

"_STOP!_" It stopped. Steve crumpled against his body, huffing and panting as he tried to recover from the agony. "There is no reason for you to punish him for my failure." He ground out, voice already beginning to crack from the strain.

**[On the contrary, it seems to be the only thing you will respond to.]**

And he was screaming again, nearly drowning out Herobrine's cry of frustration as he became dead weight in his arms. Pressing his forehead against Stephan's, Herobrine shut his eyes, reaching out into the code to try and _stop this._ All he could do was watch and listen as Stephan's heartbeat quickened, becoming erratic from the constant flow of electricity.

And then it stopped.

His screams cut off abruptly, but the charge didn't stop, the prickle of electricity still travelling through him into the ground. Herobrine jerked back, eyes searching his face for any sign of life, _anything, _but he found nothing.

And then, as he had seen so many players do in the past, Stephanus crumbled into smoke in his arms.

Herobrine didn't move. Couldn't move. The ever-present ache in his chest was gone, replaced by a cold numbness. He was gone. He was _dead. _Stephan was gone, Stephan _was dead_.

Before he even had a chance to react, though, the ache returned, along with a small pulse that beckoned him forwards_._

Herobrine was on his feet in an instant, spinning around and running straight for the opposite wall. He could sense him again, he was alive. He'd respawned. He was _okay, at least for now, but he had to get to him before that changed_.

He didn't even notice the tears as they stung at his eyes and rolled down his face.

* * *

He was on the floor.

Steve blinked tiredly up at the ceiling, cool metal pressing against his back as he lay flat on the ground. Getting an elbow underneath him, he pushed himself up, a soft groan escaping him as he sat up. His last memories were fuzzy - he must've fallen asleep, and woken up here. But where was here…?

He was in a hallway. It seemed vaguely familiar, like he had been here before, but of course every room in this Notch-forsaken place looked the same. Still, he could swear…

_White-hot pain shot through him, his body moving of its' own accord as the shocks overwhelmed him_

He was at the entrance, he noted faintly. This was where he had first appeared on the server.

Why had he been brought here? Was he supposed to find Herobrine again, maybe? Or avoid the guard? He hadn't seen it since it had first attacked him. He hoped that wasn't the case, he still doubted he could beat it.

_Herobrine was shouting, but the words were drowned out by the sound of his own screams, until finally it all __**stopped**_

He spotted movement in the corner of his vision, and turned just in time to see Herobrine collapse to his knees beside him and throw his arms around his neck.

"Whoa." Steve yelped, hesitating only a moment before hugging him back. He could feel Herobrine's heart hammering in his chest, his eyes squeezed shut as he pressed his face against the younger man's shoulder. What had happened to freak him out so much? "Hey, what happened? Are you okay?" A shake of his head was the only response he got. A dampness was beginning to grow on his shoulder where Brine's face pressed against it, he was _crying._ Something was-

_Every nerve in his body was screaming, until it wasn't, an abrupt cold flowing over his senses until every one winked out like the last stars at sunrise_

Steve was quiet for a moment before trying to speak.

"Did I," he asked softly. "die?" A small nod where Herobrine was huddled into him. But he was alive now. "And respawn?" Another nod. Oh. That was a… understandable reaction, then. He probably would be freaked out too, if he had remembered it any better.

_**[The object was for you to solve the puzzle. You failed.]**_

_**[On the contrary, it seems to be the only thing you will respond to.]**_

Steve's hands balled up into fists where they were pressed against Herobrine's back. Tears welled up in his eyes, but this time they weren't from fear. He had come to _help._ Come to assure Herobrine that he wasn't alone, that they were coming, and maybe, _maybe_ to distract his captors enough to give him a bit of peace. He had failed, _miserably._

They were finished with him, that much was clear. What little curiosity he had sparked with his appearance was gone, and now he was little more than a hostage, someone - some_thing_ to threaten Herobrine with if he didn't do what they wanted. _Couldn't_ do what they wanted. He already felt bad for his hand in the matter.

But it wasn't his fault this time. It was theirs.

"How can you do this?" He growled, blinking back hot tears as they threatened to spill. "_How_ can you treat anyone like this? You're _not _heartless." He lifted his chin, glaring up at the ceiling where he knew the observers were watching. "How can you hurt, and maim, and _kill _us for no reason?"

"Steph-" Herobrine began, but the younger stopped him with a hand pressed against the back of his head.

"I don't know how you've convinced yourself that this is okay, but it's _not._ Herobrine isn't a _toy, _and neither am I. We're _people, _we're just like you-"

**[Heartless?] **A click from the chat interrupted his rant. **[All we're doing is conducting research.]**

"How can _any_ of this be called _research?!_ What on Earth are you even learning from this? How to break someone enough that they can't be fixed?!"

"Stop." Herobrine protested softly, voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt, but Steve ignored him.

"How can you look at us and pretend that this is okay?! Just because you're out there and we're in here, that doesn't make us any less than you!"

**[Stop.]**

"No." Fear fluttered in his chest, but he couldn't stop _now._ "We deserve to be safe just as much as you do."

**[You are not human. You don't even understand what it means to be human.]**

"That doesn't make us any less worthy of being protected!" In response, Herobrine jerked in his arms, a muffled cry escaping him as his collar released a pulse of electricity. "_Stop_ it!" Steve shouted. "You _can't _just- you can't just keep hurting us until we stop resisting! That's not how it _works!_"

**[I don't think you're in any position to tell me what I can or cannot do.]**

"You won't _succeed!_ We're not going to stop resisting! You can't make us into your slaves!"

**[Then you underestimate the level of control we have over you.]**

"_You_ underestimate what we _are_." There was no response. Cautiously, Steve glanced around the hallway, wary of some sort of trap, as Herobrine leaned silently against his shoulder. He- that didn't feel like a victory.

"Steve, right?" His head snapped up at the voice, noting as Herobrine flinched against him. "It's Ja- Joseph." It took him a moment to remember, confusion flitting over his face, but then it clicked.

"Y-yeah." His heartbeat started to slow, adrenaline that coursed through his body beginning to ebb away.

"I got the others to leave. I don't want to hurt you. But you need to not antagonize them, they will only hurt you worse."

"Okay." A tinge of shame colored his face as his gaze dropped down to Herobrine, still huddled against his shoulder. "Sorry."

"I understand that you're angry. I would be, too. I'm doing my best to keep you from suffering unnecessarily." The voice was quiet, and very smooth, a lot like Notch's voice. "I can't free you, but I can try to help a little."

"Okay." Steve's voice lowered to a mumble, finding himself breathless after the events of the past ten minutes. "Thank you."

"Just try to protect yourselves." And then there was a quiet chime as he left the room.

The hallway was quiet for a few minutes, and then, abruptly, the room darkened and they were back in their cell. Letting out a shuddering sigh, Steve bent down to bury his face in Herobrine's neck.

"I'm sorry." He'd been hurt as punishment for his temper tantrum. His own collar was gone, he noted vaguely, it had disappeared when he respawned. Herobrine took a raspy breath, then let it out in a whisper.

"You're… a-live." The miner gave him a tiny nod.

Herobrine didn't let go of him until he fell asleep.


	37. Horror

When Herobrine awoke, it was to a pleasant warmth.

Blinking open one tired eye, he lifted his head, gaze flitting around his surroundings before landing on the young man he lay against. Stephan was asleep, chest rising and falling with measured ease as he lay back against the wall. He was safe.

Herobrine shifted, trying not to wake him as he huddled closer. His little brother was warm, gentle hands placed on his back to hold him against his chest, and the ghost of a smile was visible on his face. He was at peace.

A shudder ran through the warrior as he remembered just what had happened the last time he was awake.

His hand moved unconsciously to his own neck, pressing against the smooth metal of his collar. Stephan was in _so _much more danger now, now that they knew they could kill him. They could rip him to shreds as many times as they pleased, and he would always come back. He _had_ to find some way to protect him, he _couldn't _let him be hurt as much as he was. Worse.

While the original set of tests had seemed to be just assessment, trying to find out his strengths, his limitations, how human he was, now it seemed to have changed. Now they were pushing him to his limits, Stephan used as a sick motivator, as they forced him to become faster and smarter and _stronger_.

That would come back to bite them, one day.

He would make sure of it.

* * *

He woke up in the hallway again.

Steve's eyes fluttered open, then his forehead scrunched up in a frown. How had he gotten back here? Of course, he noted a moment later, his captors had complete control over him and could toss him around their realm without so much as a word. He should probably be used to this by now.

Bracing a palm on the floor behind him, the miner pushed himself up, glancing warily about his surroundings. He hadn't died again, had he? The last thing he remembered was falling asleep with Herobrine, so either they killed him in his sleep or he had simply been moved. Steve decided that the latter was far more likely.

But what was the purpose of this, then? Was he supposed to find his way back to the cell? Without any clear instructions, Steve simply scooted back against the wall, drawing his knees up to his chest as he waited for something to happen.

And it didn't take long for a now-familiar growl to catch his attention.

A shudder worked its way through his body as an inky-black form appeared at the other end of the hall. One of those creatures, resembling a huge, black wolf. Was he supposed to fight it? Try to escape? They were fast, he knew that, but maybe he could slip past it and escape to another part of the compound.

Those hopes were quickly dashed as at least two more of the creatures rounded the corner. Slowly, warily, Steve slipped a knee beneath him and pushed himself upright. He had a rudimentary knowledge of unarmed combat, but that was most useful against the slow, lumbering zombies he was used to. And even then, he so often relied on the protective nature of his dogs to keep him out of trouble.

Brushing sweaty palms on his jeans, he raised both arms in front of him, curling his hands into fists as the first of the creatures crouched on its forelimbs to strike.

The moment it moved, Steve threw himself out of its trajectory and fled.

He heard nails scrabbling on the smooth floor behind him as he ran, the two remaining wolves letting out horrible baying sounds as he sprinted towards them.

Before he reached them, he sprung off the ground, clearing both beasts in an impressive jump before skidding into the wall and kicking off it down the hall. A rush of overjoyed adrenaline shot through him, able to believe for a moment that he might _escape_, might be able to get to safety.

And then strong jaws locked around his ankle, a pained cry escaping him as he crashed to the ground.

He barely managed to get a forearm under him to catch him before his head hit the floor, followed immediately by a spike of pain shooting up his leg as an audible _crack_ echoed down the hall. A scream wrenched itself from his throat, white-hot pain nearly drowning out the haunting wails of the beasts that pursued him. The next thing he knew, teeth had settled around the back of his throat, and everything turned a blinding black.

And then he was on the floor again.

A hand flying to his neck, he jerked up, his free hand pressing against the cold wall for support. He had died. Residual pain still lingered in his leg, undoubtedly shattered before he had met his demise. He didn't remember this last time, but his last death hadn't been so _violent_.

The creatures, their bloodlust not yet satisfied, appeared around the corner once more.

"Oh Notch." The words escaped him in a hoarse whisper, flinching back almost unconsciously against the unyielding wall that hemmed him in. Having tired of stalking him, the wolves settled quickly into a rapid gait, teeth already coated with blood, _his blood,_ and before he knew it they were upon him and their teeth and claws were stained with his blood once more.

Another scream brought about another flinch, Herobrine burying his face in his knees as he tried to block out the world around him. But, no matter how numb his senses were, he couldn't stop the horrible cold that settled into his chest before rising back into a passive ache.

_Four._

He wasn't sure when Stephan had been taken, sometime while he was asleep, but he had already berated himself a thousand times for letting it happen since he had woken up just minutes before. He had tried _so hard_ to go to him, tearing at the walls of the render he was trapped in, but he _couldn't move._ Every step he took teleported him back to the center of the room, helpless to even make it to the door. Helpless to come to his aid.

Another cry. _Five._

He had tried to override the teleportation loop, but was miserably unsuccessful. It was nearly impossible to focus with the awful strain on his very _soul_, anyway. All he could do was listen and _feel _what was happening to his little brother, over and over and _over _again.

The chill returned once more. _Six._

Why were they doing this? Under their pretense of their "research"? Trying to find the limitations of his immortality? Or simply a horrible punishment for his accusatory words, released in a moment of emotion? Before, he might've argued that it wasn't justified, but now all he could do was mourn the fact that _it wasn't me. It was supposed to be me._

_Seven._

_Eight._

…

* * *

**yall: can they be happy now please**

**me: ABSOLUTELY not.**

**~FFF**


	38. Afraid

Something warm and sticky coated his body, and it took him a moment to realize that it was his own blood.

Blue eyes fluttered open as Steve gathered up the courage to rise, lifting his head an inch in search of his attackers. They were gone. Were they done? Was it finished?

He shifted, trying to sit up, but a wave of pain seized his form in its clutches. He wasn't- he wasn't _injured, _not physically, but his body didn't seem to realize that. Spikes of pain rolled up and down through his feeble body, only intensifying when he tried to move. Maybe it would be better just to stay like this, for now.

But he felt incredibly vulnerable there, lying flat on the floor, vitals exposed to where anyone could easily hurt him. So, he worked up the strength to move, then dragged himself up into a sitting position where he could hunch himself around his chest.

He scooted back, making his way into the corner, grimacing as his jeans soaked up more and more of his blood. The stench was overwhelming, the smell of salt and copper fogging his senses as he pressed himself against the cold wall. He coughed softly as he curled around himself, knees pressed up to his chest.

Hugging his cold arms to his body, the miner let out a shuddering sigh, eyes fluttering shut once more as he tried to drift off to sleep.

And then there were footsteps.

His body seized as he registered the sounds, shooting awake - had he ever been asleep? As natural as instinct, he tucked his chin between his knees, shielding his throat from the awful, tearing pain he knew was coming. Round two? A punishment for not moving? He didn't know, but at this point it was too late to run, so he simply huddled against the wall and refused to move.

Until the hand touched his shoulder, that is.

* * *

The moment the loop had stopped, Herobrine was on his feet and out of the cell, following Stephan's pulse to the entrance of the compound.

His condition was stable, Herobrine could tell that much, but what exactly his condition _was_? He didn't know. He knew that this was what they wanted, that they had released him for the purpose of going to find him, but, in this, he didn't care. If he could do _anything _to help Stephan after his own display of weakness, he would.

He didn't know what to expect, but it wasn't the sheer _amount _of blood that was smeared on the floor and walls, tracked on the ground. The stench of it was overwhelming, and he shivered, fighting back the nausea that built in his stomach. He was no stranger to blood, of course, he had spilled far too much of it in his time, but the fact that it was _Stephan's_ blood made it all the more heart wrenching. Veering to the left, he passed through the wall rather than rounding the corner, hoping to avoid the sight and smell of the blood for as long as possible.

Unfortunately, it only made it that much more horrifying when he stepped back inside the render and found the site of Stephan's repeated death.

The sheer amount of _red_ that coated the floor and walls wasn't even the worst part - it was the body, so covered in blood, that lay in the corner as his chest rose and fell with shaky breaths. Stephan's eyes were closed, his chin resting on his folded arms as he dozed. Despite the blood that covered him, he didn't appear to be wounded, and Herobrine took a step closer.

Immediately, the younger man stiffened, eyes opening half way before screwing themselves shut again, hunching over his knees. Herobrine's heart sank. He knew Stephan hadn't recognized him, but thought of him having such a reaction to him, _again, _hurt.

He took a step closer, then another, then reached out to touch his shoulder. Stephan didn't move for a moment, then, carefully, tentatively, opened his eyes to look up at him. It only took a moment for recognition to flash in his eyes, then a small smile to light up his face.

"Brine."

"Are you alright?" Herobrine choked out, such a _pointless_ question when he was trembling and cowering against the wall, but Stephan took it in stride.

"Yeah. I-I'm okay." His eyes flickered down to the blood. "Th-the- every time I d-died I just r-reappeared. I-I'm kinda s-sore, but I'm n-not h-hurt. N-not a-anymore." Herobrine frowned, gaze skimming down his body again. So the blood was solely from his previous deaths. Steve took a breath, then stammered, "I'm s-sorry I l-let-"

"_I'm _sorry." Herobrine blurted out, interrupting. "I'm sorry I didn't come, I'm sorry, I couldn't- they didn't let me _move._"

"No, 's okay, I guessed that." Stephan shifted, then winced. "I knew you would've come if you c-could." Herobrine didn't answer.

"We should get you back- out of here." He mumbled, glancing at the blood as it shone under the fluorescent lights. "Can you- are you able to-?"

"Walk?" Stephan finished. "I think so." Shifting, he reached out a shaking hand to press against the wall, and Herobrine caught up his other arm as he struggled to his feet. His trembling only increased as he tried to put weight on his legs, knees in danger of bowing underneath him as he rose to his full height. Herobrine hesitated, then, before he had a chance to think about it, pulled one of his arms over his own shoulder, slipping his free hand beneath Stephan's knees to scoop him up.

A startled yelp escaped the miner as he was picked up, his body stiffening as a pain flashed over his face. Herobrine choked out an apology, cradling him to his shoulder even as Stephan's breathing grew strained. He turned, starting to walk, and his little brother settled his head on his shoulder. He was… incredibly tense.

Their captors were quiet as Herobrine carried his brother back to the cell. The tension slowly drained from Stephan's body as time went on, becoming accustomed to his new position. Still, though, he barely touched him, one hand ghosting over the back of his neck should he need to hold on for support.

It was only a couple minutes' walk, and soon enough they had passed back through the wall to their place of relative safety. Sinking to one knee, Herobrine lowered his charge down to the floor, not missing the breath of relief that escaped his lungs as Stephan curled his arms around his midsection. Carefully, the miner sunk down onto his back, eyes falling shut as he took a deep breath. Herobrine just looked down at his bloodstained hands.

All he had heard was the screams, he didn't know how he had died. It wasn't by electrocution, not this time, the blood was clear enough evidence of that. So how had it happened? His collar was still present. Did it respawn with him?

Sighing, Herobrine slumped to his knees, letting his tired head hang. It was most likely that they would get a period of peace, now, a little bit of time to rest and recover. Time to prepare themselves for the next ordeal.

His eyes had almost slipped shut when he spotted a dark, raised mark peeking out from beneath the collar.

Stephan flinched, a bit late, as he reached down and disintegrated the band with a touch. A moment later, his blue eyes widened as he realized the ramifications of the action, pressing a bloody hand over the scars with a quiet gasp, but the damage was already done. Herobrine had already seen the ugly, jagged scars that lined his throat from too many sets of teeth - and the bruises that marked the skin below it.

"Stephan." His voice was firm, and his younger brother flinched a bit. "Let me see."

"No." His voice raised in pitch, pleading through his chattering teeth. "I d-don't want to."

"Let me see." Catching up his wrist, Herobrine tugged it away from his neck, doing his best to ignore the frightened sound he made. "You know I'm not going to hurt you." He tried, voice softening, but the fear didn't leave Stephan's face. "I just want to see what happened." His expression didn't change, and Herobrine gave up, following the trail of bruises down to where they disappeared under the collar of his shirt. A small tug revealed they travelled further down his chest, so he reached down to pull up his shirt.

"Brine, stop it." Stephan protested, snatching up the hem of his shirt to hold it down. In response, Herobrine grabbed his other wrist, pinning both to the floor above his head with one hand. He was dimly reminded of a similar situation, of pinning Steve against a tree as he tried to tend to his wound.

A knee pressed into his gut tore him from his thoughts, and he found Stephan trying to squirm away, kicking out as he flinched away from his touch. A sound of frustration escaped his throat, and he pinned Stephan's legs down with a knee, leaving the weaker man helpless as he grasped the hem of his blood-soaked shirt and peeling it up to see the marks beneath.

A snarling _mass _of new scars shone up proudly from his bruised front, ribs beginning to show from malnutrition as his chest rose and fell with shallow breaths. Herobrine recognized the wounds, from claws and teeth, ripping and tearing to get to his heart - a few still oozed a bit of blood. The bruises began near the bottom of his ribcage, marking his skin all the way up to his chin. The aftermath of dying so many times in such a horrible way.

"You told me you weren't hurt." Herobrine's voice came out more accusatory than he meant it, but even that shouldn't have been bad enough to prompt the tears that flooded Stephan's eyes.

"I'm s-sorry." He stammered out, blue eyes squeezing shut as he twisted his head away. "'M s-sorry, I d-didn't w-want you to s-see." He tugged weakly at his wrists, and Herobrine released him, retreating a foot as Stephan yanked down his shirt and pushed himself up. His teeth grit with pain, and the tears slipped down his face. Herobrine shifted towards him, moving to pull his little brother into his arms, but froze as the action only triggered a frightened sob. Struggling to his knees, then his feet, Stephan limped into the corner and sank down, curling around himself as he cried into his knees.

Herobrine was still, on his knees, just watching as he watched Stephan's reaction to _him._ _He did this_. His frightened cries were _horrifically _familiar, from all those years ago, pinned down in the snow and staining _it red, sheer terror in his eyes but unable to fight back, accepting his death, until_

Stephan's chin jerked up as Herobrine rose, crossed the distance between them with a single step, then knelt beside him and dragged him into a hug.

The younger man yelped, immediately starting to struggle away, but Herobrine held fast as he pressed his face into the miner's shoulder. He took care not to pin his arms down, just threaded his own around Stephan's chest and held him firmly. He didn't want to hurt him, but he wasn't letting go.

"Herobrine." There was a pleading note in his brother's shaking voice.

"I'm sorry," The elder mumbled into his shoulder. "I'm not letting you go." For a moment, there was silence, punctuated only by the raspy, shallow breaths coming from the pair in the corner.

Finally, Herobrine felt shaking hands press against his shoulder blades, Stephan's chin resting on his shoulder as tears streamed down his face.

A relieved breath escaped him, and Herobrine lifted his head, hesitantly beginning to rub one hand up and down his little brother's back as Stephan's battered body shook with sobs. There were more scars there, he realized faintly. He could feel the marks through the thin fabric.

"Don't be afraid." He whispered, almost soundlessly. "Don't be afraid, _min kära broder._" Stephan didn't respond, but his arms around him tightened a little bit. "Don't give up, please." Herobrine whispered. "You told them they couldn't break you." A pause, then, a little nod.

"T-tried." Stephanus whispered back. "Th-they f-failed."

"Good. I knew they would."

Herobrine held him tightly, fiercely, until his breaths weren't quite so panicked anymore. Until he didn't shake like a leaf in a gale. Until his tired head drooped onto his shoulder, and his blue eyes closed for the night. Only then, when he had been lulled into a deep sleep, did Herobrine allow himself some tears of his own.

* * *

**regarding the A/N on the last chapter, I was gonna say "ok NOW they can be happy" but. are they happy? I dont think so they are just less sad**

**~FFF**


	39. ------

"Don't you ever get tired of apologizing to me?"

"Haven't yet." The mumbled words filtered through his headset, transmitting the boy's exhaustion clear as day. "Can't apologize to them, you make a pretty good substitute."

"Focus on your work." Notch tapped his fingers anxiously on his desk, waiting as he watched a transmission of the teen's screen to his. A loading bar was creeping ever closer to 100%, representing the entirety of their work so far. "And once this bit is finished, go to sleep. I'll take over."

"Okay." Caden didn't protest. Excluding the alcoholic father's interruptions, the pair had worked tirelessly for the better part of the past week and a half. The boy's remorse for his actions was clear in his works, his determination to fix what he had broken. Against his wishes, Notch found himself pitying the boy he once held such hatred towards. Despite his situation, he was doing his best to make up for his mistakes.

It prompted a bit of thought. Despite all his money and power, Notch was near-helpless to rescue his precious creation when he was thrust into a situation he had no control over. He was forced to rely on Herobrine's captor, a boy with nothing but his computer and his experience. Notch had been lucky. He had been surrounded by positive role models when he began work on his projects, on Minecraft. Caden had not. It wasn't so much about money and power.

But, maybe he could use his to make the teen's life a bit better.

A chime played on his speakers, and he heard a startled noise through his headset. Caden must've been beginning to drift off. A message popped up on the screen, and Notch was distracted by a surprised chuckle before he had a chance to read it.

"I- I think it _worked_." The screensharing application froze, but Caden continued to report. "I can see into their- their prison of sorts. I think I'm logged in? Oh boy." A grin stretched over Notch's features. That was- they were one _big _step closer.

Something moved in the corner of his screen, and he glanced up, only to freeze in place.

**[Steve Death Count: 1]**

"Oh dear." He breathed.

"What?" Caden tuned in. "Is something-?"

**[Steve Death Count: 2]**

"I have a- can you see them?" The creator cut himself off. A pause.

**[Steve Death Count: 4]**

"Yeah, I can. They're sleeping in a room, and- ugh, they're… covered in blood. Neither of them look to be too hurt…?"

**[Steve Death Count: 6]**

**[Steve Death Count: 7]**

**[Steve Death Count: 9]**

Notch took a breath. "Herregud."


	40. Trivia

**just got a review on this that featured the line "This was an amazing story even if it probably won't get finished". NEVER, MY FRIEND!**

**...this is actually a few chapters behind the wattpad version so lemme just spam real quick**

* * *

"I want to speak to Joseph."

The message travelled through the group twice before landing in the lap of the intended recipient. The others had expressed confusion on the subject - his name _wasn't_ Joseph - but his explanation of being named as such by the subjects seemed to pacify them well enough.

What really worried him was that it wasn't Stephanus, but Herobrine that wanted to talk to him.

So, later that day when few of his associates were online, he pulled Subject HB into a different chamber and logged into the chat.

**[Hello, Herobrine.]**

"Joseph, is it?" He had heard the subject speak before, but this cold hatred was new to him. His desperate pleas after Stephan was almost drowned were angry, but this was on a whole new level.

**[It's what your friend calls me, yes.]**

"Good. What the #### was the meaning of your little _stunt_ yesterday?!" Joseph blinked.

**[Elaborate?]**

"You said you would _help._ Said you would keep him from getting hurt so much." 'Him' could only be HB-V.

**[I tried. I didn't know they would shock him to the point of killing him.]**

"Not then. _Yesterday._"

**[I'm not sure what you mean. I did not observe any tests taking place yesterday, not with either of you.]**

"You didn't see them kill him _eight times?!_"

A pause.

**[What?]**

**[No, absolutely not. When did this happen?]**

"About eight hours ago." Some of the malice had drained from the AI's voice, but his eyes were still narrowed into slits. "They left him in a hallway where he was torn apart by your monsters, _over and over_ again. I found him lying in a pool of his own _blood_." Joseph leaned back a bit in his chair, staring up at the ceiling.

That wasn't good.

**[I'm sorry. I was assigned to another duty yesterday. Do you think this could happen again?]**

"I'm not foolish enough to think otherwise." Herobrine sneered.

**[Again, I'm sorry. I assume he respawned every time he died? Is he wounded at all?]**

"Some. Each death left him with more scars, and the more times he died the less he would heal."

**[I'm sorry.]**

"Sorry doesn't fix it."

**[I know. I'm not sure what I can do.] **Joseph drummed his fingers on the desk, studying the subject's face. Though he knew for a fact he hadn't been shaving, his beard hadn't seemed to have grown at all in the weeks he had been there. However, his hair was an inch longer, curling at the ends where it lay just past his shoulders. An interesting detail by whoever had created these marvels.

**[I think,] **he began, **[I may be able to release him from further study, if only because he is very human and therefore irrelevant to the purpose that you are being trained for.]**

"Which is?"

**[I can't tell you that, I'm sorry.]**

"I might've guessed."

**[Some of my associates are more... sadistic, than they are genuinely curious about you.]**

"I might've guessed that as well." Herobrine crossed his arms. "Return me to my cell."

**[Very well.] **In a way, he admired the subject for his determination. His ability to command, even after being hurt so much for his rebellion. So, he obeyed, transporting the subject back to where his friend slept.

Once they were safe, Joseph logged out, pulling up another window and opening a new message.

[Subject: Concerning HB-V]

* * *

Stephan was still asleep.

Herobrine crossed the room quietly, sinking down beside him where he lay on a bloodstained portion of the floor.

The dried blood had become a rusty brown, now, hardly the spectacle it once was. The miner's head rested on his arm, curled halfway around his chest in his sleep, and his breathing was finally calm. Despite the collection of bruises that marred his chest and arms, he seemed to be free of pain.

Carefully, he lowered himself down beside him. While he itched to pull him into his arms, he was reluctant to wake him from what appeared to be a peaceful sleep. So, instead, he settled for watching his chest rise and fall. He could almost count his ribs through his thin, bloodstained shirt. He was so thin. Clearly his body did not regenerate fully after a respawn.

His thoughts wandered. Would he be able to get him some food? Maybe by begging, asking his captors and pledging compliance in return? But, previous attempts had only resulted in more pain for his brother. He would have to try something else.

Could he... make some?

His eyes strayed to the wall. He could _destroy, _an ability he used to its full potential, but could he _create? _Or even just transform? If he took some of the code that made up the world around him, could he turn it into something new? He knew the code that made up food in Minecraft, this wasn't Minecraft, but maybe...?

Reaching out, Herobrine brushed a hand against the wall, dissolving the code and leaving a hole in the render. Taking the ones and zeros that remained, he pulled them into his hands, re-shaping them almost by instinct as his eyes fell shut.

When he opened them again, there was a small loaf of bread in his hands.

He stared at it for a moment, then pinched off a bit and lifted it to his mouth. It wasn't the best thing he had ever tasted, but it was edible. That was good enough for now.

Reaching down, he nudged his little brother awake.

"Stephan." The miner jumped at the contact, bleary eyes shooting open. He blinked slowly, mind struggling to catch up with his wakeful state, before looking up at him and smiling.

"Brine."

"Are you hungry?" He extended the food towards him, and Steve's blue eyes flashed down to it immediately.

"Y-yes, where did you get that?" His hand shot out, about to take the loaf from him, but he stopped short with a grimace as his bloodstained hand came into view. Herobrine gently pressed it into his grasp.

"I made it, I think. Out of the code." Stephan blinked up at him, wordless confusion in his eyes, but his hunger won out over his curiosity and he turned his attention to the bread in his hands.

Herobrine was quiet for a couple of minutes as he watched his brother eat. He couldn't help but notice his flinches every time he swallowed, as pressure was made on the bruises on his throat. How he favored his right arm over his left. How his gaze was affixed firmly on the bread, avoiding the dried blood that covered his body.

When he had eaten about half of it, he stopped, glancing up at Herobrine.

"Are you hungry?"

"No." Herobrine shook his head, forcing a small smile. "_Oroa dig inte._ I don't need to eat."

"Okay." He didn't need any more convincing, biting into the loaf once more. He was showing remarkable restraint in how quickly he ate. He must have experience with trying to recover from starvation.

"What language is that?" He mumbled through a mouthful.

"Swedish." Herobrine hadn't fully realized he'd slipped back into the language until that moment. "The language of Sweden, the country Notch comes from."

"Country?" Herobrine looked down to see curious, blue eyes turned up towards him once more. It occurred to him just how little Stephan knew about the world outside, even less than him. He had once been able to access the internet, and study the 'real world' that Notch lived in. All Stephan knew was that the people out there were cruel, and didn't care about him.

And yet, he seemed to have forgiven them already?

Short of his outburst a couple of days prior, Stephan had never shown any signs of hatred, or even anger, towards his captors. Maybe for his sake, but not his own. The man- _boy_ who took them in the first place he seemed to be on good terms with, judging by the way he spoke of him. And his 'Joseph', he had somehow convinced to treat him with kindness.

"_Du är fantastisk_." He murmured at last. "A country is an area that is ruled over by a certain person or group of people. There are many of them in the outside world."

"Which one are we in?" The younger man asked. Herobrine's forehead creased in a slight frown.

"I'm not sure. Maybe none of them. The internet- where we exist, is over the entire outside world at once. Anyone in the world could come and influence us here, no matter how far away from the people that have us.

"Or," He continued, "we could be based in a physical machine. I'm not sure if we're in the internet anymore. Our server is based on the internet, but we could just be stored in a physical computer right now." Stephan blinked owlishly at him. "It's confusing, I

know.

"Yeah." Giving up, Steve just pushed the last of the bread into his mouth, eyes falling shut as his shoulders slumped a bit. Herobrine scooted closer, setting a hand on his shoulder as he leaned against the wall beside him.

"I can try to make some more if you need it."

"I'm good for now." Stephan gave him a little smile. "Thank you."

"Of course." He shifted, removing his hand, but froze when Stephan leaned over to press his head against his shoulder. Wrapping an arm around his back, Herobrine lowered his head and closed his eyes.

Even after all of this, he was tempted to hope that everything would be alright.


	41. Silent

The room was dark and cold.

Stephan lay curled up with his back against the wall, head resting on his forearm as he consciously worked to calm his breathing. Absently, he scratched at the dried blood that was beginning to flake off his skin.

His eyes fluttered shut, but he forced them open again.

Herobrine had been gone when he woke up. On one hand, it made him feel a bit better, that they had seemed to take a break from torturing him. On the other hand, he felt bad for rejoicing in his fortune, because it undoubtedly meant that Herobrine was forced to suffer whatever it was their captors wanted by himself. Maybe that's why he continued to force himself awake? As a sort of... vigil, almost, it made him feel a bit better about being left in relative comfort while Herobrine was somewhere out there.

Again, his eyes closed of their own accord. Letting out a little sigh, he rolled over on his back, the cool surface soothing the scars on his back. He squirmed a bit at the thought, of the monsters that attacked him, and quickly averted his train of thought. He thought about home instead.

Even though the knowledge that it was gone made him feel hollow inside, he pushed past the sorrow to remember the better days, of peaceful ones. Of hot afternoons spent lazing about outside, his dogs sprawled out around him as they basked in the sun. Of Joe, showing off how much he could carry and promptly throwing out his back. Of riding his mare through quiet meadows, scattering bonemeal on the ground and watching the flowers pop up.

Of Herobrine. Of sitting with him after working all day on the new field, watching the sunset, sweaty and tired and dirty but somehow so comfortable at the same time. Of all those nights he had collapsed exhausted into his bed and instantly passed out, only to wake up with his blanket tucked around him. Of impressively gentle hands as they wound bandages around his arm, their owner grumbling under his breath at his carelessness.

His home was gone. Everything he had ever loved was gone. Except Herobrine.

His eyes fluttered shut a final time. This time, he didn't notice when his surroundings changed, and he was bathed in bright light once more.

* * *

It was too quiet.

Herobrine was in a large chamber, a bright one, completely empty and shaped as a long rectangle. He simply sat against the wall, looking at the ground, senses attuned to the environment around him. He had been here for almost an hour now, and absolutely nothing had happened. Were they simply observing him? Why had they taken him from Stephan? Was his little brother the one who was in danger?

He fitted a hand over his heart, listening to it beat and feeling the warmth of Stephan's presence. As long as the signal was steady and strong, he knew the younger was safe. The moment that changed...

He shifted a bit, lowering his hand to tug at a loose thread on the hem of his shirt. His clothes had endured a fair amount of abuse throughout his treatment here. If not for the fact that they were self-regenerating, they would likely have been long destroyed. Thank you, Notch, for that feature.

His stomach growled a bit, but he ignored it. It was completely possible that they had brought him here to observe his new ability to transform items from one thing to another, and he would rather not show off to them.

The lights dimmed, and a click echoed through the environment.

"Hello? This thing on? Oh- wonderful."

Herobrine's body went stiff.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, I was dealing with other matters." The voice took on a vaguely disinterested tone. "Let's get started."

A razor-sharp blade punched through his body from behind, striking right through his heart.

Herobrine couldn't even quiet the pathetic cry that escaped him, body instinctively struggling as he found himself skewered on a pole. He lifted shaking hands to the weapon, trying to destroy it, but the cool metal held fast. Probably- probably that was be-tter, for them to n-not see his abilities, but _Notch_ it _hurt_. Would they leave him like this...?

"Do you- oh, you probably don't know." The voice continued, grating against his ears. "You- your 'Joseph'-" It let out a derisive laugh. "Your Joseph is taking your _precious_ little brother away from us. Thanks to your little outburst yesterday." Despite the pain, Herobrine gasped in a breath and smiled. Good. "Oh, don't get your hopes up, now. That leaves only you to help us conduct our _research_. And I have a _vitally_ important question for you." A cord wrapped around his throat, slamming his head back against the wall as it dug into his flesh. "Can you _die_?"

"You should have stayed silent, songbird."

* * *

**10/13/19**

Subject HB was pitted against a puzzle to which the answer was hidden, attainable only by directly accessing the code. Rather than solve the puzzle itself to get to its prize, Subject HB-V, HB broke through the render and released the counterpart from its prison. HB-V was then shocked to punish HB for the failure, and died briefly, losing all vital signs, before its body reformed at the point at which it entered the server. Subject HB moved towards it immediately, passing through any obstacles in its path.

Once they were reunited, HB-V began to verbally condemn the observers, accusing them of rampant cruelty without purpose. The observers chose not to respond. This continued until both subjects were replaced in the holding cell.

**10/14/19**

HB-V was pitted against several monster AIs in order to test its ability to regenerate, as well as prompt any latent defense mechanisms to activate. Unfortunately, the subject only grew weaker and weaker the more it was killed, and eventually the experiment was aborted.

Subject HB was kept from interfering via a command that teleported it to a certain location every 20 ticks, rendering it unable to leave the spot. It showed incredible distress the moment its counterpart began to experience pain, attempting to leave several times before giving up. Once the experiment ended, HB was released, and immediately made its way to HB-V, which it transported back to the holding chamber.

**10/15/19**

Subject HB made a verbal request to speak to a "Joseph". This individual was eventually identified as User JX277, the nickname being one given to him by subject HB-V. JX277 then had a meeting with HB, monitored by several other users, in which HB accused him of playing a part in the previous day's experiment, of killing HB-V repeatedly. JX277 was not a part of this experiment, and was audibly alarmed by the way it was described. A request has been filed to remove HB-V from further experimentation due to its inability to perform actions required for the purpose of this project.

**10/16/19**

After some delay, Subject HB was faced with a series of grievous injuries designed to test its ability to regenerate. Despite suffering injuries that would kill a regular human ten times over, including loss of limbs and incredible amounts of blood along with the cessation of its heartbeat, HB simply regenerated over time without perishing as its counterpart would have.

An investigation is being held as to the relevance that this experiment had for the project.


	42. Hurt

Steve was startled awake by a voice that seemed to come from right above him.

Blinking blearily, the miner rocked upright, bracing a hand on the floor. "Huh?" He mumbled aloud, watching as the traces of whatever dream he had had disappeared into the depths of his unconsciousness. His surroundings were unfamiliar, there was - he could see colors. What was...?

"Stephanus?" The voice repeated, and he glanced up to find nothing. Rubbing the bleariness from his eyes, Steve scanned the area, finding himself in a small, furnished room with no other occupants. Who was speaking?

"Joseph?" He managed.

"Yes, it's me." The man's tone was friendly, and he smiled.

"What's going on?"

"I've gotten you removed from study." Steve's heart leapt in his chest. "The behavior of some of my associates have been deemed unnecessarily cruel, and you don't fit the qualifications that we're looking for in the project. Henceforth, you've been given over into my care, where I've been instructed to study you in a less obtrusive way." The miner took a moment to process this. A lot of the words were unfamiliar, but the meaning was clear enough.

"And Herobrine?" Were the first words out of his mouth. A pause, then a sigh.

"I haven't been able to get him out. They have... very high hopes for his potential."

"What do you mean? What do they want him for?" Steve was aware of a vaguely panicked note in his voice, and managed to tamp it back down.

"I can't tell you that, unfortunately." Joeph's voice took on a harder note. "For all intents and puposees, I'm not allowed to tell you anything. It was a risk just trying to get you released."

"Oh." A beat. "Thank you." He added, softening his voice. He was right. "Ah... where is this place?"

"A private server that I've created for your residence. Unfortunately, this is the only room, but I trust it will be more comfortable than the cell they had you in."

"Yeah." He gazed around the small, furnished room. The walls and floor were brown, with the texture of planks, and a couch with red cushions sat along the far wall. A table and chairs sat in the opposite corner, lit by a small lamp. It was... cozy.

He felt a stab of guilt at the thought of Herobrine, alone in the dark, featureless room.

"It is." He agreed. "Thank you." Getting to his feet, he crossed the room over to the couch, running his fingers along the cushions. They were soft.

"You're worried." Joseph noted.

"Yeah." Steve heaved a sigh. "You can- can you see him? Check on him?"

"I should be able to." His observer affirmed. "I'll do that. I'm sorry to have to leave you alone, but I'll be back."

"They shouldn't be able to get to me here?"

"No."

"Okay." Steve nodded, eyes still on the red cushions. "Thank you, Joseph."

"My pleasure." There was a soft tone, and he signed off. Steve sank down on the couch, letting his head tilt back to stare at the ceiling. He was safe.

But the cold, nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach wouldn't go away.

* * *

_Pain._

He used to think he was familiar with the sensation. With the low shocks that reverberated up his spine. His body screaming at him that _something was wrong, _pleading with him to _get out. Fix this._

But all that seemed dull compared to this newfound agony that he had the privilege to experience.

He couldn't _see._ Everything was a dull, reddish black, he- his eyes were _destroyed, _the weapons that had done the deed still buried in his skull. He couldn't see his body, but he could only imagine that he was a grotesque mess on the floor of the room where he had been abandoned. Deep cuts marring his arms, down to the bone, legs broken beyond repair. They had torn out his heart, but his body put itself back together. At least, he had the least hope that his vision would repair itself as well.

_"Can you die?"_ They had asked him. At this moment, he wished more than anything else in the world that he could.

He had tried to get them to stop, at first. Pleading, in the chat. Telling them no, he couldn't die, there was no reason to do this. They locked him out. At that point, his vocal cords were long destroyed, his last method of communication gone. He could do nothing.

Stephan. Was Stephan safe? He reached into his perception, but he- he was gone. Stephan's signal was cold, dark, void. He was no longer on the server.

Was he... free...?

The reason for the punishment... they had mentioned Stephan and the one called Joseph. That he was being taken away, released from their cruel 'research'. He was safe. Safe with Joseph. Far away from the men who would hurt him.

He had been granted the one thing he had wished for. Now, no matter what the punishment they wrought upon him, he could be at peace.

* * *

Notch stood, turned around, and pressed his hands against his face.

"I can't watch this anymore."

"Okay." Was Caden's faltering response. His eyes didn't leave the screen, taking in every detail as Herobrine was _tortured _without mercy. It stung, left a bad feeling in his chest. He didn't look away.

There had been audio, before, before he shut it off. A voice had explained its reasoning for the deranged punishment that Herobrine now suffered, that Steve had been taken away from where he could be hurt. This man was _evil. _While, Caden conceded, he had once treated Herobrine with similar cruelty, he didn't _know_ then exactly how _human _this creature was.

Didn't know exactly what the consequences of his impulsive actions had been.

Didn't know it would lead to _this._

"We have to get him out." Notch's voice trembled from barely-restrained fury. "Right away."

"I- I don't know if we can." Caden protested. "There are still- I need him to respond from the inside. I can't just pull him out."

"Then we will have to pray that he can hear us." Notch responded grimly. "Close the feed. We need to concentrate." Caden obeyed. Opening the access page for the server, he scrolled down to his bookmarked place and began to type.

"_Herobrine._"


	43. Repairs and Reunions

Joseph released his mouse, lowering his forehead into his hands.

This was something he wasn't sure he could fix.

It had been 48 hours, now, since he transported Steve to a safer server, and a message had just arrived requesting that he take a look at Subject HB. Apparently he wasn't taking the most recent test particularly well.

The message had cited his lack of movement, of complete apathy towards his surroundings regardless of what they may be. It had urged him to bring back HB-V, to see if that would prompt a response from their silent prisoner, but Joseph had opted to check on him first. He was greatly relieved that he had. He had no doubts that, if Steve were to see him like this…

Lifting his head, Joseph gazed up at the carnage once more, taking in the sheer amount of blood that coated Herobrine and the area around him. His body was completely limp, curled halfway into a fetal position as he lay on his side on the ground. What _exactly _his wounds were, Joseph wasn't sure, but he knew he needed intervention _immediately. _Even if he may regenerate on his own.

He lifted a shaking hand, then frowned at it, willing the trembling away. This was no time to be squeamish.

In an instant, he had Herobrine teleported away, into an empty room on his private server. For now, he simply left him to hang, weightless, in midair. Hopefully that would put the least strain on his ruined body. Having assured the relative comfort of his patient, Joseph accessed his code and began to try and mend his numerous wounds.

The AI's code was like nothing he had ever seen before, and he treaded extremely carefully as he made his way through strings of damaged text. He could see Herobrine repair himself, slowly but surely, before his very eyes. Was he conscious? Or did he function like a human in this regard, body working instinctively to put itself back together? Regardless, he would be in pain for far too long regardless of the answer. He had to help him.

Carefully, painstakingly, Joseph stitched Herobrine's avatar back together. He could see little flashes of color as blood vanished, wounds disappearing as he made his way through the AI's unconscious. The man never moved, never responded. Asleep, or so he dearly hoped.

The process took hours. Tens of minutes on end spent on each line, searching for a certain phrase to copy over, trying to simulate Herobrine's internal healing on a greater scale. His patient's body knitted itself back together over time, bruises fading and wounds closing before his eyes. Before he knew it, it was 2:30 AM, and Subject HB was fixed.

...almost, at least.

Herobrine still had yet to move, but his eyes hung open regardless. Both of them were blank, but, curiously, his right eye glowed while his left did not. Had he missed something? Or was it intentional? Had the eye glowed before?

He went back to check.

He scoured the code for nearly half an hour before he found the issue- a small error in the coding of his left eye. A fairly simple fix. The left eye began to glow again.

Assured in his success, Joseph reactiviated gravity on his patient and lowered him to the ground. While Herobrine still showed no signs of life, it seemed as if he was only sleeping. If he still hadn't moved by morning, he would go back in.

While everything appeared to be functioning correctly, he worried that Herobrine may have shut himself down, refusing to come out, as a defense mechanism. He wasn't sure if he would be able to fix that.

Although, maybe, for this beaten and battered young man, that would be for the best.

* * *

Joseph shut down his access app, leaving his computer running as he headed to bed. He was confident in the strength of his firewalls, that his patients would be safe while he got some rest.

"#### it!" Caden snapped abruptly, Notch nearly choking on his coffee. "They're gone!"

"Gone? What do you mean?"

"They're not on the server anymore." Caden dragged a hand through his damp hair, frustration evident in his voice. "Steve was- he was taken away first, then Herobrine followed. He was- he was just removed."

"Hopefully that's a good thing…" Notch muttered. "Removed from… them." Caden didn't respond. All he could wonder is if he had been detected, and the prisoners moved to a safer place.

"I'll hunt around and try to find a connection." He muttered, minimizing the window that showed the inhabitants of the server. "If we can't find one, we- ####, I don't know what we'll do."

"We'll find them." Notch's voice was impressively even. "We have to." The teen hummed tunelessly in response.

"Okay."

* * *

He was warm.

Herobrine didn't move for a long time. Didn't think. Just enjoyed the feeling of being warm, and calm, and _whole._ He didn't remember the last time he felt this whole.

The light in his chest pulsed with a regular beat. Stephan was near, safe, and… he appeared to be sleeping. Content.

He didn't know how he got here, but he didn't question it. The pain was over, for now.

…

His eyes snapped open. Where was he?

The room was white, and empty, but… different. He couldn't detect the compound around him, or anyone accessing it. It was empty. Calm. He was alone.

Except for Stephan, who was in the next room. Just out of reach.

He rolled over, pushing himself up with shaking hands and staggering upright. Joseph had taken him. He himself was no longer in pain, and Stephan was nearby. Had Joseph taken him away as well? Healed him? Had his tormentors finally broken him so greatly that they needed help to put him back together?

He lifted a hand, touching his face. Even his scars seemed to have fad-

He blinked.

Wiggled his fingers.

Blinked again.

He could see out of his left eye.

He closed his right eye in experimentation, not sure what to believe. Was this a dream? It wasn't a normal one. Had Joseph… _fixed_ it? How? And _why?!_

He closed both eyes, then opened them. This could wait. He should check on Stephan.

It was simple enough to pass through the walls of the rendered prison, making his way through an empty void towards another room. The light inside was dim, illuminating what looked like the inside of a wooden cabin. Stephan was asleep, curled up on the cushions of a red couch, and a quick visual assessment revealed he was unharmed. Comfortable. Thank Notch for that.

_Except it wasn't Notch who had done this, it was Notch who had allowed him to come to this horrid place in the first place._

Herobrine sat down gingerly, body sinking into the fabric of an empty cushion. The feeling almost unnerved him, it had been a long time since he felt anything… soft. But he didn't move.

He was silent for a while, just thinking. Wondering when Joseph would come back. When he would be put back with the others. If his treatment would improve, or get worse.

He didn't move until Stephan did, shifting on the couch and startling him back into reality.

"Stephan?" The younger man jerked upright, spinning in his direction with wide, blue eyes.

"Herobrine!" The next thing he knew, a pair of arms had flown around his neck, and he squeezed his little brother back as Stephan buried his face in his shoulder. "Joseph- you're here. Did he-?"

"Yes." Herobrine murmured in response. "He brought me here."

"Notch, I'm glad to see you." A grin slipped onto the elder's face.

"Wrong brother." A laugh bubbled up from Stephan's chest, and he rocked back on his knees to look him up and down.

"Are you hurt?"

"No." Herobrine responded without missing a beat. "Are you?"

"No, no." A perpetual smile shone on his face. "I felt… sick. All by myself, I mean. Something felt off, I was worried..."

"I hope it was only being in a new place, and not something your 'Joseph' has done." Herobrine did not even consider telling Stephan about his treatment. Notch knew he had suffered enough in this cursed place already.

"I'm sure that's it." Stephan's eyes, still skimming him for injuries, finally rose to meet his own. It was a moment before he noticed, then his mouth dropped open. "Your eye!"

"It works again." Herobrine answered the unspoken question, resisting the urge to flinch away as Stephan lifted a hand to touch his face. Carefully, he traced his left eye with his thumb, hand resting on his cheek before Herobrine gently pulled it away. "I believe it was Joseph's doing."

"He is a good man." Lowering his hand, Steve shifted to lean against Herobrine's shoulder, which was responded to in kind by an arm that threaded behind his back to pull him close.

"I wouldn't put your faith in him just yet." He cautioned, lazily resting his fingers on Stephan's shoulder. "But I do believe you are safe with him. For now."

"So are you." The miner insisted. Herobrine hummed, but didn't respond.

They didn't move until Joseph came back.


	44. Counterance

[XRRB]: Any progress?

[JX227]: HB is up and running again.

[JX227]: I fixed his avatar, and it took a while, but he's moving again.

[XRRB]: who's "he"?

[JX227]: the subject.

[JX227]: ben, the file says 'human male'. Don't tell me you think it's a female

[XRRB]: lol ok """joseph"""

[XRRB]: OK. Will let the others know.

[JX227]: thanks

[XRRB] has ended the chat

Joseph sighed and rested his chin in his palm, watching as subject HB explored the room that he and his fellow prisoner were held captive in.

"What am I supposed to do with you?"

* * *

Steve watched as his brother made his way around the border of the room, tracing a palm just over the surface of the wall. His eyes drifted shut, but he snapped them back open with a shake of his head. If Herobrine were taken away again, he wanted to be able to at least _try_ and do something. That meant not being asleep.

"Your friend is back." Herobrine muttered under his breath, the sound transmitting clearly across the empty room. Steve blinked, sitting up.

"Joseph?"

"Yes." Herobrine reached the corner, and pressed his hand against the wall. He glanced back at the younger man, then the render shattered before him.

"What are you doing?" Steve blurted, shooting upright as an empty void became visible outside the room. This was nothing new to him, he had seen Brine break through the walls before, but why? Why try to escape from their safe haven?

"Nothing. It's alright." The wall repaired itself before him, and Steve stopped. "I just wanted to know if there was a weak spot."

"Oh." He slumped back down on the couch. He only vaguely understood Herobrine when he talked about the world they currently stayed in, about keys and binary and renders and code. It seemed to come so naturally to him, while, as for Steve… he wasn't supposed to be here. He was supposed to be hiking through forests and over mountains, the square-shaped sun shining down on him as he discovered new structures and mined up precious ores.

He was an _adventurer, _for Notch's sake, not… this. He wanted to go home.

A stab of sorrow fell through him as he remembered, remembered that his first home was gone. Caden had made him a new world, maybe they would return there after they escaped, but… it wouldn't be quite the same.

Did Herobrine… know?

"Brine." He spoke up. Herobrine turned in his direction, and Steve took a moment to marvel at both his glowing eyes before continuing. "Did Caden- the hacker, did he tell you- he deleted our server?" The warrior blinked, his eyes growing dim.

"He did not inform me."

"Oh." A stab of guilt followed the first, and he hastened to continue. "Maybe Notch- maybe he can restore it once we get out?"

"If we get out." His response was so quiet that Steve barely heard him, and he froze.

"We will."

"You will." Herobrine turned to look at him once more. "I will make sure of that. At the very least, you will not go back to _them._" Steve shifted on the cushions, wanting to get up, to say something, _do_ something, but it all seemed so pointless.

"I'm not leaving without you." He managed at last.

"If you get the chance, yes, you will." Herobrine leaned back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. The stance freed a memory from the depths of Steve's unconsciousness, and a shiver went through him.

_Brian. Cold. Indifferent._

"They're not interested in you." Brine continued. His voice had softened somewhat. "At least, not as much as me. They know you are less… sturdy. They will leave you in the care of your friend."

"And you?"

"I will be returned to their study."

"No." His voice faltered. "Joseph can protect you."

"He cannot."

"He has to!"

"He has no choice!" Herobrine raised his voice, and Steve flinched. Instantly, Herobrine let his arms drop to his sides, straightening up and taking a step closer. "Stephan."

"I don't want to see you destroyed." Steve protested. "Not again." Brine winced, and he realized too late he may have dredged up poor memories. "I can't just sit here and let them do that to you."

"You cannot resist them, or you will suffer the same." Crossing the room, Herobrine sat down on the cushion beside him, lowering his head a bit to meet his eyes. "Even if Joseph wanted," He stated, "He could not protect me. There are too many others, they want me back. If they could not have me, they would demand you."

"Why? Why can't they just-?"

"Humans are bloodthirsty, insatiable creatures." The words came out in a growl and a hiss, Herobrine's hands curling into fists in his lap. "They take great pleasure in finding the best ways to _hurt _and _destroy._ That is simply the way they are."

"What about Notch?" The question escaped him before he could stop it. "He's human, isn't he?" Herobrine blinked, the light in his eyes flickering a bit, and his curled fists slowly relaxed in his lap.

"Notch… is different." He answered quietly. "He creates, not destroys." Steve smiled a little bit. From what he knew of him, that was true.

"What about others? There have to be others like him." He pressed on. "Like Joseph, or Cad-?"

"If you recall correctly, the hacker is the reason we are here in the first place." Brine interrupted, his voice harsh. "I hardly think he is of the same caliber."

"Mm." Steve ducked his chin with a little nod. "Maybe."

"And as for your 'Joseph', he _is _one of the men who has tormented us." Hero continued, voice stilted. "I would not place your trust in him either."

"But there-?"

"There are undoubtedly more people in the world out there like Notch." Brine murmured, staring at his hands in his lap. "But they are a dying breed." Steve stopped. Glanced down, looked at the scars that snaked their way down his arms and onto the backs of his hands.

"I think," He stated, "That all humans have the capability to be good and bad." Herobrine frowned, looking up as if to respond, but he continued. "Notch isn't perfect, he left us alone in our world for many years. Caden, Joseph, they're obviously not perfect, but they're not completely bad, either. They all have things that make them more good, or more bad. Notch just… has more good." He finished on a weak note, and glanced up at Hero, hoping that he could be understood. Herobrine was gazing into his eyes, face impassive as he digested his words.

"Perhaps you're right."

He stood up and went back to checking for a weak point.


	45. Desperate

**anon plz enjoy**

* * *

"He's back." Caden reported, adjusting his microphone as a string of words popped up on the screen. "Herobrine is, at least. No sign of Steve."

"Good." Notch's voice was thick with sleep, still groggy from waking up only minutes before. It was the middle of the afternoon, but Notch had passed out at his computer at about 4:30 that morning, and Caden had opted to let the poor man sleep. "Are you prepared to get him out?"

"I- I think I can, yes." Caden shuffled a bit nervously in his seat, watching Herobrine's avatar as it huddled in a corner of his virtual prison. "If he's ready to receive my lifeline. But what about Steve? Interfering now runs a risk of alerting them to our presence, and they could lock him away, out of my reach."

"I can't-" Notch cut himself off, his voice frustrated. "_Of course, _yes, that's important, but…" A pause, then a gentle sigh. "...I don't think I can stand and watch this anymore."

"Yeah." The hacker responded numbly. "I get it."

His heel bounced up and down on the floor as he typed, isolating the prisoner in an invisible field as he prepared to initiate a file transfer. His heart pounded in his chest, and guilt prodded at his stomach. He had allowed Steve to go in there, and they weren't going to get him out? At least, not right away? If they never got him back, he would never forgive himself.

Sliding his hand to the enter key, Caden inputted the string of code, activating the program.

"_Herobrine?_"

* * *

And he was alone again.

Herobrine let his head tilt back against the cold wall, eyelids flickering over both glowing eyes. The room was dark, a fact for which he was infinitely grateful. His torment would not begin just yet.

"_I'm sorry, but you know I have to do this._" Joseph had told him. "_I will continue my investigation on your cruel treatment, but I cannot stop them directly." _Herobrine had not given him the honor of a response.

He hadn't been able to say goodbye to Stephan, who had been asleep when he was transferred back to the other server. While his heart ached from the lack of his brother's signal, filling the empty void, he knew that as long as he stayed away from these men he was safe. As long as he was elsewhere, he was safe.

Pulling his knees up to his chest, Herobrine rested his folded arms on them as he rocked back and forth a bit. His thoughts drifted as his eyelids fell, focusing on the grey surface below his feet. His boots were gone, he noticed idly. How long had it been since that occurred?

"_Herobrine?"_

His eyes shot open, searching the room for the source of the voice. Had it been a voice? Or just a thought, implanted into his mind?

"_If you can see this, acknowledge me._"

He hesitated. Then, gave a single nod. Who is this?

"_Good. I'm going to try to get you out of here."_

His stomach leaped. _Notch?_

An instant later, it sank. Stephan. He was in another server. He couldn't go, couldn't leave him.

"_If I'm speaking to you, that means I got through their firewalls. I'm going to transfer you out._"

He shook his head. Stopped. Opened his mouth to speak.

"C-can you… hear me?" His voice came out in a croak, but the words were clear enough. He dearly hoped that his captors would not be alerted by his attempt to communicate.

"_I can. What's wrong?_"

"Steph- Steve." He whispered. "Is still in here. I cannot leave without him."

"_I can't find him in this server."_

"In another one." Herobrine shook his head again. "If I leave, they will bring him back."

"_Then we'll wait until he's here, then take him away as well."_

"No, absolutely not." Herobrine hissed. "He cannot- he is not as strong as me. They will destroy him, and if I am gone, they will know something is amiss. They won't let you take him as well."

"_Notch says we need to get you out now. I'm sorry, but we'll have to leave him for now._" Herobrine blinked, staring up in surprise.

"Then who am I speaking to?"

"_His associate._" The message came after a short delay. "_Just be patient. I'm almost there._"

"No." Rocketing to his feet, Herobrine took advantage of his newly found strength to cross through the wall and escape from his cell. Stephan's world must be connected to this one somehow. Could he get there? And get back before his tormentors noticed something was amiss?

"_Where are you going?_"

"To find him." He whispered.

"_Okay. I won't stop you. But you have ten minutes." _His heart thumped dully in his chest. Without Stephan's signal to lead him, he wasn't sure where to go.

"Alright."

Did he really have an option to fail?

* * *

Steve gazed down at the words on the book in his hands, flipping through the pages with a small frown on his face.

"I can't read this." He said at last, setting the book down. The letters were familiar, but the words were in a language he didn't understand.

"A pity. Try the next?" Joseph encouraged. Steve glanced down, picking up the next book in the stack. The symbols on the cover were complete gibberish to him, but he opened it regardless.

"Not this one either." He reported with a sigh.

"One more." Setting the book aside, he glanced at the title of the next, and raised an eyebrow. While it wasn't English, these characters were familiar.

"Pride and Prejudice." He read out. "I can read this."

"That's interesting." Joseph's voice was slightly amused. "That confirms a hunch."

"What sort of hunch?"

"That of your origins." Steve frowned up at the ceiling.

"How so?" His eyes fell back to the cover of the book. "Wait, is this enchanting table-?"

The world rippled around him.

Steve jumped, dropping the book back to the table with a _thump._ The render had reset itself slightly askew, and he felt as though gravity was off. Though he wasn't sliding on the floor that seemed to be at a severe angle, he grabbed the corner of the couch for balance. Better safe than sorry.

"Steve?" Joseph's voice was garbled, muffled. "What happened? Are you-?"

A shattering sound drowned out his voice, and a strong hand grasped Steve's forearm and yanked him back.

"Hey!" He yelped, turning, and was met with a pair of white eyes. "Herobrine-? What's-"

The world disappeared in a flash of color, and everything went black.


	46. Relief

Everything was pitch black.

Steve lay there, staring into the infinite abyss, feeling as though pinned to the surface below him. He couldn't move a muscle, an intense weight keeping him pressed down on the flat ground. What happened? Where did Herobrine take him?

Were they… out?

This place reminded him of Caden's prison, a dark room with an ambient source of light. He could see his own body if he tried, glancing around, but nothing else. He wasn't tired, or hungry, almost felt… numb. Even his scars didn't ache.

There was something teal there, in the corner of his vision.

Though he strained, he couldn't lift his head, or open his mouth to call out. Regardless, it seemed fairly clear what the source of the color was - Herobrine. At least, wherever they were, they were together.

Something shifted in his vision, the pitch-black replaced by soft greens and browns, but his eyes had already fallen shut once more.

* * *

"...en?" The voice was warm, and kind, and so familiar, and he was searching for the source before he had even fully registered that his name had been spoken.

"Notch." He croaked out.

"It's me. You're safe." Herobrine blinked up from where he lay on his stomach in the soft, grey expanse, scanning his surroundings before his gaze fell upon the familiar face of his creator. The elder offered him a small smile, but he only stared, not quite sure yet if he should believe this was real.

"Stephan?" He asked after a dumbfounded moment. Notch's smile only widened.

"He is safe. Resting." Herobrine's chin dropped to the ground once more, a sigh escaping him.

"We escaped?"

"You did. You both did." For a moment, Herobrine didn't do anything, just soaking up the relief of the moment. It felt almost unreal, enough that he wondered for a moment if it could be just a dream, but his dreams were never this joyful. A little 'thank Notch' escaped him as he rolled over, resting on his torn back as he stared up into the void.

"I wouldn't thank me," Notch cut in gently. "Without Caden, I would have stood no chance at even finding you, much less helping you to escape."

"Caden?" Herobrine muttered faintly. The name seemed familiar, but he did not have the strength in this moment to remember.

"The hacker. The one who took you." And then every muscle in his body was tense, and he was shoving himself upright. "Herobrine, please, you need not be afraid of him."

"I'm not afraid." The words came out in more of a growl than he meant them. "Where is he- the hacker? Is he with Stephan?"

"Did Steve not tell you when he joined you that Caden was an ally now?" Notch did not answer the question. "He contacted me for the sole purpose of seeking you out and rescuing you."

"A rescue that would have never had to occur had he not taken me in the first place!" Herobrine shot back. "And- though it was you who allowed Stephan to enter as well! He died in there, several times, he should never have been allowed to- to join me!" His relief had quickly turned to anxiety and rage, at himself, at his captors, and at Notch. It must have been the second or third time that his creator said his name before he finally stopped to listen.

"I'm sorry." Notch was apologizing. "I saw… some of what happened to him. And you." Herobrine turned weary eyes towards the source of the voice. He had missed seeing his face. "There is no excuse I can make. I was simply under the impression that it would not be nearly so difficult to get him- and you- back out."

"And you saw fit to leave him." A note of bitterness dwelled in Herobrine's voice.

"I'm sorry." He didn't defend himself. "But he is safe now, please remember that."

"Is he with the hacker?" Herobrine asked once more.

"No." Notch replied at last. "Caden is sleeping, he should not be interacting with either of you for a minimum of four or five hours yet." Herobrine grunted in acknowledgement.

"May I see him?"

"Of course." Notch's eyes fell to his keyboard, inputting a command, and his surroundings shifted around him to reveal a small, wooden cabin built atop a hill.

"Where is this?" Herobrine asked as he picked himself up, willing his little flinches and winces to cease.

"A world that Caden created for Steve after you were sent away, from what I hear." Notch was no longer visible to him, only audible. "He was here for at least a few days..." ...hence the building. Herobrine wasted little time in admiring the craftsmanship of the little cabin, choosing instead to move quickly to the front door and push it open.

And there was Stephan, sprawled out on his back on the couch, fast and peacefully asleep.

Herobrine quietly made his way over beside him, standing over the couch as he scrutinized his form. His face was relaxed, his clothes were whole, and he was free of the dried blood that clung to his skin for so long. If not for the scars peeking out from beneath his shirt, Herobrine could almost imagine that he had been here all this time, cutting down trees and mining iron.

Slowly, he sank down to sit on the couch beside him. The sofa, he noticed, was made out of two beds and a few slabs. No wonder Stephan found it a good place for a nap.

The movement, however, of the plush surface sinking under him, was enough to wake Steve up. The younger man shifted, then opened his eyes, blinking and glancing up at him. Herobrine lifted one hand, waving quietly.

And then Stephan was lunging for him, flinging arms around his neck.

Herobrine squeezed him back as a laugh bubbled up from Stephan's chest, hugging him tight to his chest. He heard a quiet chuckle from Notch, clearly still observing, but he paid him no mind. They were safe.

Herobrine sunk back against the arm of the couch, letting Steve halfway pin him down. His old strength was back, he noticed. Just the action of being back in Minecraft, being in his world, gave him vitality and strength he didn't realize he was missing. Stephan appeared to feel better as well, unhindered by his wounds and scars.

"Should I leave you two be?" Notch asked, voice mildly amused. Stephan just laughed again.

"I don't care." And his arms tightened. Herobrine didn't complain. They were safe. Stephan was safe, and they were home. Not their old world, that was long gone, but they had plenty of time to mourn it while in the clutches of their captors. Now they were free, and Herobrine wanted to enjoy every minute of it. He squeezed Stephan back.

"Neither do I."

* * *

**10/19/19**

After a good deal of hours spent on the project, user JX277 successfully restored the sentient function of Subject HB. The subject was placed in a smaller server, in which Subject HB-V currently resides, for observation while it continued to recover. Subject HB-V has been working through a backlog of menial tests which were deemed unimportant in comparison to some of those already completed.

**10/20/19**

Subject HB has been deemed mostly operational again, and has been returned to the main server. User JX277 has recommended moving forward with caution as the subject repairs itself, and all tests have been delayed until further notice.

**10/21/19**

Both subjects went missing at approximately 4:30 PM. Subject HB was recorded residing in a rendered room at 4:27 PM, at which time the recording software crashed and lost all footage afterwards. Subject HB was reported missing at 4:36 PM. Subject HB-V was also revealed to be missing at 4:58 PM, and despite user JX227 having been actively running a test during that time period, he claims to have lost any visual on the subject and consequently has no information as to the nature of his disappearance. Scans run on the server have revealed a breach from the outside occurring at approximately 4:25 PM.

Users JX227, AA2006, OPM12, and K11DD have been assigned to track the breach to its source and recover the entities, regardless of cost.


	47. Home

Caden shifted a bit under Herobrine's harsh glare, feeling exposed and open with the pair finally able to see his face. Hopefully, what Notch had said about it helping them to be comfortable with him was true, but he still felt like his privacy was being violated. A hacker should never be showing their face, after all.

Upon waking up half an hour ago, Caden had been informed by Notch that Herobrine and Steve were resting, and appeared to be recovering pretty well. Steve had bounced back to his old self in no time, overjoyed to be back where he was supposed to be. He couldn't quite say 'home', Steve's real home had been deleted, but he hardly seemed to miss it. And, given what he had gone through, Caden couldn't blame him.

So now, finally, had come the time for him to apologize. Given how long he had spent planning and hyping himself up for this, it was unreasonably hard for him to even begin.

"Um, Herobrine, and Steve." He began, running through his mental script again. The pair on the screen were waiting outside Steve's cabin, Steve sitting and petting one of his dogs while Herobrine stood over him with a scowl on his face. "I'm glad to see you're both okay." Herobrine's jaw tightened, and Caden hurried on before he could interrupt.

"I wanted to for- formally say I'm sorry." He stammered. "For everything. Especially to you, Herobrine. I can't- can't expect you to forgive me, o-of course, I've done so much that I doubt you could ever-" He cut himself off. _Focus, Caden._ "But, um, I promise. That I'll never hurt- try to hurt either of you again." He looked down at his keyboard, well aware that his face was flushed as he tucked a dark curl behind his ear. "And you- if you don't want to, you never have to see me again."

"Hey, I've forgiven you already, remember?" Steve piped up. Caden's gaze jerked back up to his screen to spy a warm smile on the young man's face.

"I- okay. Thank you." His blush only grew worse. This time, though, it was more shame than embarrassment. His gaze shifted to Herobrine, but, as he expected, the scowl hadn't changed.

"If there's, um, anything I can do… to make your lives easier, have Notch contact me, okay?" He was watching as well, Notch was, probably to monitor Herobrine as well as him. Steve gave him a nod. "Alright. Great." Caden was already moving to shut down the application when Notch spoke up.

"Caden, I may need your help with something." Internally sighing, he lowered his hand back to his keyboard.

"What?"

"Restoring their server."

"What?" Steve exclaimed, before Caden had even registered the words. "How can- you can do that?" Even Herobrine looked interested, gazing up at the source of Notch's voice.

"I can't bring it back quite to the way it was before, I'm afraid." Notch explained. "I have a backup of the world, though- from just before I moved it from my computer. It's quite a few months old, or- or years, I imagine, for the two of you- but it exists." Steve turned shining eyes to Herobrine, who offered him a small smile. "Do you want me to restore it?" It took them only a moment to come to a decision, voiced by Steve.

"Please."

"Then we will. Caden, if you could please…" Notch disconnected from the world, and Caden followed suit, entering a private voice chat with him. He was stunned as well, but a little grin was on his face. That… alleviated some of his guilt, at least.

"I have something for you as well, Caden." Notch murmured, accompanied by the sounds of keys tapping.

"Huh?" The teen waited, not quite sure yet what he was supposed to be doing, before a link appeared in the chat. He clicked it. "Hope's Beginning University" popped up on the screen.

"Have you ever wanted to go to college?"

* * *

Now they were truly home.

Steve tilted his head back, unable to keep from grinning as the sun's warm rays shone down on his face. He and Herobrine had opted to begin expanding the farm right away, as a few years worth of progress were missing. Some of his dogs were still puppies, there was a good deal less livestock, and several fields and a building were missing. But Notch, he could sleep in his own bed again. He could ride his horse again.

He could see _Joe_ again.

Herobrine reclined at his side, leaning back against the tree trunk where they had decided to take a break. A bottle of apple juice lay beside him where Steve had placed it several minutes before, but it was untouched. He had fallen asleep.

It felt horribly foreign to be safe. To know that their tormentors were long gone, and that the one who one brought him so much pain was now his closest friend. In this world, he was practically invincible, as the mobs answered to Herobrine and wouldn't dare hurt him. They could live out their endless days in peace and safety here.

...and yet, he was restless.

Steve shifted a bit, staring up at the white clouds as they drifted by. When he first appeared in this world, he had been quite the adventurer, but Herobrine changed that. Now, though, he had the strength and courage to explore this world to the fullest. Maybe even others, as well. Why should he sit around and wait?

"What are you thinking about?" Herobrine's voice made him jump a bit, and he tilted his head down to see a pair of white ones looking back. His voice still took him by surprise, coming from his mouth rather than his mind.

"Exploring." He responded with a little smile. "I haven't been far from my farm in a long time."

"Excluding the time you fell into the ice, of course." Herobrine reminded him mildly. Steve chose to ignore it.

"Herobrine?" The elder man cocked a brow, and Steve leaned closer to throw an arm around his shoulders. "I just wanted to say thanks." He continued as Herobrine's arm slid around his back. "For… everything, I guess." There was a little pause, and he hastened to fill the silence. "For being my friend."

"Steven." Herobrine murmured. Steve blinked.

"What?"

"Steven." He repeated. "My real name is Steven."

* * *

**th-th-that's all, folks! stay tuned for the sequel, Stephan!  
**

**~FFF**


End file.
